How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Maryland?
Please refer to the following table for a medical assistant’s salary in Maryland as per various government and popular non-government sources. As you can see, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) reported that medical assistants earned $17.94 an hour and $37,320 a year as of March 31, 2020.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $17.94 | $37,320 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $16.06 | $37,345 | January 21, 2021 |
| Salary.com | $18 | $37,475 | December 28, 2020 |
| ZipRecruiter | $14 | $28,817 | January 10, 2021 |
Medical Assistant Pay at Different Percentiles in MD
| Percentile | Annual Salary (Maryland) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $27,630 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $31,870 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $36,330 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $41,240 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $49,470 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
At all percentiles, the annual salaries for medical assistants in Maryland were way higher than the national annual figures, as outlined above.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in MD
The following table shows an MA’s salary in Maryland’s top 10 cities according to indeed.com and salary.com, two of the most reliable internet resources for job-related figures.
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaithersburg, MD | $17.51 | $19 |
| Germantown, MD | $17.33 | $19 |
| Bethesda, MD | $17.12 | $19 |
| Rockville, MD | $16.97 | $19 |
| Baltimore, MD | $16.68 | $18 |
| Annapolis, MD | $16.62 | $19 |
| Columbia, MD | $16.27 | $18 |
| Silver Spring, MD | $15.99 | $19 |
| Frederick, MD | $15.95 | $19 |
| Towson, MD | $15.77 | $18 |
| Waldorf, MD | $14.90 | $19 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 21, 2021) and salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
The table suggests that according to indeed.com, Gaithersburg paid the highest to their medical assistants, with an average hourly wage of $17.51, while Germantown stood second at $17.33. Other cities paid between $17.12 and $14.90 an hour.
According to salary.com, Baltimore, Columbia, and Towson paid $18 an hour on average, and the rest of the cities in the list paid $19/hour.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Maryland Medical Assistants
The following table shows a medical assistant’s pay in different metropolitan areas in and around Maryland at various career stages.
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $41,040 | $29,340 | $38,850 | $57,170 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $37,360 | $28,430 | $36,620 | $48,600 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $35,310 | $26,260 | $35,200 | $46,890 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $35,050 | $26,840 | $34,260 | $46,910 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | $34,400 | $26,340 | $32,370 | $48,040 |
| California-Lexington Park, MD | $32,650 | $25,620 | $31,190 | $43,430 |
| Salisbury, MD-DE | $32,480 | $24,940 | $31,330 | $41,500 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria paid the highest to their medical assistants, with a mean annual wage of $41,040, followed by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, paying $37,360/year. Rest of the metropolitan areas paid between $32,000 and $35,000 approximately.
Top 5 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
To find out the top 5 areas in Maryland employing the highest number of medical assistants, refer to the following table:
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 15,360 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 11,790 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 6,830 |
| Salisbury, MD-DE | 1,050 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 560 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
The above table from BLS puts Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington on top because it employs 15,360 medical assistants. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria took second place, with 11,790 employees, followed by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Salisbury, and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, employing 6,830, 1,050, and 560 respectively.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Maryland
The table below presents the top 10 employers according to the average hourly wage paid to their medical assistants.
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| UCLA Health | $23.15 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $22.37 |
| Medical Access | $21.08 |
| NYU Langone Health | $20.72 |
| Atrius Health | $20.11 |
| Virginia Mason | $19.91 |
| Scripps Health | $19.76 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | $19.47 |
| Capital Women’s Care | $18.88 |
| Shady Grove Fertility | $18.85 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 21, 2021)
According to salary.com data, UCLA Health and Kaiser Permanente are among the highest payers in Maryland for MAs, followed by Medical Access, who managed to grab the third-highest spot.
Benefits for Maryland Medical Assistants other than Salaries
Medical assistants of Maryland earn an average of $37,514 in monetary compensation, which is around 67.6% of their total remuneration. They also get perks and benefits, with a monetary value of $18,016 in a year, making up about 32.4% of their total yearly compensation. It makes their total yearly compensation about $55,530. The break-up of their benefits and their monetary values are given below.
-
Healthcare
Healthcare is the biggest contributor making up 11.5% of the total yearly remuneration, with benefits of about $6,371 a year. Working in healthcare is the reason why this benefit takes the largest chunk.
-
Time Off
All the leaves of a medical assistant in Maryland combine to provide a total monetary value of about $4,761 a year, which is about 8.6% of their total remuneration.
-
Social Security
Employees enjoy this benefit as a contribution to social security payments by their employers, making up about 5.2% of their total compensation. The amount contributed each year is about $2,870.
-
401K/403B
It is a retirement fund that will also receive contributions of about $1,838 a year by your employer if you are a medical assistant in Maryland. It makes up about 3.3% of the total compensation.
-
Pension
The pension of an employee helps them stay afloat after they retire. Every employer has different criteria for this, but on average, they contribute about $1,576 a year to this fund, which comes to about 2.8% of the entire annual remuneration.
-
Disability
If any unfortunate accident causes the employee to be disabled, then this accumulated fund helps replace their income partially. Employers of medical assistants in Maryland contribute to it every year for about $600, making up 1.1% of their total compensation.
(Source: salary.com as of December 28, 2020)
Salaries of Similar Professions in Maryland
Let’s take a comparative look at the salaries earned by similar professions.
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Dermatology Assistant | $17.92 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $15.44 |
| Clinical Assistant | $15.27 |
| Medical Receptionist | $14.96 |
| Medical Scribe | $14.94 |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $16.09 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 21, 2021)
A certified medical assistant’s salary in Maryland, or any other state, is slightly higher than someone without a certification. According to indeed.com, Dermatology Assistants earn the highest when it comes to similar professions, with an average hourly salary of $17.92. Other professions, like Medical Office Assistant, Clinical Assistant, Medical Receptionist, and Medical Scribe, paid between $14-$15.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $121,811 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $112,166 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $43,336 |
| Medical Secretary | $42,954 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $39,150 |
| Medical Scribe | $36,007 |
Source: salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
The table above shows that Physician Assistants earn a lot more than medical assistants because of their education and aptitude. Other than these two, Medical Billing Specialists, Medical Secretaries, Medical Scribes, and Medical Librarian Assistants earned between $36,000 and $43,000 on an average.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for MD Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
A medical assistant’s scope of practice in Maryland also depends on the department they are working in and the number of patients it gets. It can also change with seniority and certifications. A medical assistant certification in Maryland can help you kick start your career in the healthcare field and help you grow well.
Medical assistant jobs in Maryland were projected to rise at a rate of 31% between 2018-2028, with 2,410 openings every year. It would make the total number of jobs go from 15,210 to 19,920, adding a total of 4,710 jobs, which is a big reason you should look into becoming a medical assistant in Maryland.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
|
Maryland |
15,210 | 19,920 | 4,710 | +31% | 2,410 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored Resource, Projections Central (2018-2028 report)
Hiring Trends
- According to Maryland Nursing, the demand for healthcare workers in the state is higher than the professionals employed. Only 35% of the total demand for healthcare professionals was met in 2015, which is way below than 40% in 2005.
- CareerOneStop reported that medical assisting would be the 10th fastest-growing career in Maryland between 2016 and 2026, with a growth rate of 27%. It also reported that medical assistance would be the 43rd highest career, with the most annual job openings between 2016-2026, adding 1,620 jobs every year.
- According to Zippia, medical assisting stood 77th in the list of 100 fastest-growing Maryland jobs for 2019. It was projected to grow at 125.6%, with 15,140 jobs by 2024. It also stated that the average annual income of the professionals was $35,030.
- Zippia also reported the following companies to be the 5 best for healthcare workers in Maryland: Applied Physics Laboratory, United Therapeutics, Mid-Atlantic Health Care, Sheppard Pratt, and LifeBridge Health.
- USA Wage’s popular jobs list of 2020 put medical assisting in the top 50 (49th place). It employs 13,110 professionals, contributing to 0.49% of the state’s total workforce, earning an average salary of $36,330 a year.
Written by : Casey Gardner
Casey Gardner is both a healthcare support professional and an accomplished content creator. She has been working as a certified health care professional with marketable skills as a physician assistant, and a qualified medical assistant for last two decades. She has dedicated her nursing career to produce over hundreds of content pieces since 2001, and her work has been published both online as well as offline.
