How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Massachusetts?
When starting as an MA in the state, you’d wonder how much can you draw monetarily. Here we outline all salary-related information to help you gauge what to expect moving forward. As per the Bureau of Labour Statistics, medical assistants in Massachusetts draw $20.09 on an hourly basis and $41,780 yearly. As compared to national salary figures, this state pays better. Medical assistants across the USA earn $35,720 annually and $17.17 hourly. In fact, Massachusetts is the fourth highest paying state in the USA when it comes to the medical assisting occupation (as per the BLS report, May 2019).
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $20.09 | $41,780 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $17.71 | $40,977 | November 19, 2020 |
| Salary.com | $19 | $39,404 | October 28, 2020 |
| ZipRecruiter | $15 | $31,577 | November 03, 2020 |
Note the annual and hourly pays of MAs in Massachusetts in the table above. Data from different sources are included for your reference.
Average Medical Assistant Salaries in Massachusetts
As of 28 April 2020, according to indeed.com, the average annual and hourly salary of certified medical assistants in Massachusetts was $40,345 and $17.44, respectively, which was 15% higher than the national average.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of May 2020), Massachusetts was one of the top paying states for medical assistants with hourly and annual mean wages of $20.09 and $41,780, respectively.
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Annual Salary (National) |
| 10% | $31,960 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $35,430 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $40,770 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $47,800 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $53,100 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS
From the above table, it can be concluded that at different percentiles, the annual salary of medical assistants in Massachusetts was higher than the national average salary.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in MA
Please observe the 8 top-paying cities in MA state for medical assistants:
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Annual Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington | $22.37 | $40,122 |
| Waltham | $20.10 | $40,805 |
| Cambridge | $20.00 | $40,805 |
| Boston | $19.88 | $40,805 |
| Brockton | $19.75 | $39,222 |
| Norwood | $18.92 | $39,222 |
| New Bedford | $18.25 | $38,172 |
| Worcester | $18.04 | $38,136 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 19, 2020), and salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
The city that paid the highest hourly pay to medical assistants in Massachusetts was Burlington ($22.37). The other top-paying cities were Waltham, Cambridge, Boston, Brockton, Norwood, New Bedford, and Worcester ($20.10-$18.04 hourly wages).
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Massachusetts Medical Assistants
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | $45,900 | $34,390 | $44,860 | $61,460 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | $42,560 | $32,490 | $41,610 | $54,640 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | $39,740 | $30,400 | $39,390 | $49,900 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | $38,850 | $30,600 | $38,300 | $49,400 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA | $38,150 | 29,510 | $37,270 | $49,090 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $37,420 | $28,120 | $36,760 | $49,660 |
| New Bedford, MA | $36,040 | $27,780 | $35,620 | $46,440 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Amongst metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, Barnstable Town, MA paid the highest wages to MAs ($45,900). The other top-paying metropolitan areas rendered salaries between $42,560 and $36,040.
Top 5 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment in MA
Understanding which cities or areas in your state pay the best can help you reap greater financial advantages:
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | 10,860 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 3,140 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | 1,880 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | 940 |
| New Bedford, MA | 360 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH employs the highest number of medical assistants in the state (10,860).
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Massachusetts
It’s good to learn which firms in MA pay the highest to medical assistants if you’re considering this career:
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Sutter Health | $27.27 |
| Jefferson Healthcare | $24.18 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | $23.89 |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center | $23.34 |
| Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System | $21.52 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | $21.50 |
| HealthPartners | $20.92 |
| Emory Healthcare | $20.45 |
| SSM Health | $19.78 |
| Compunnel Inc. | $19.52 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 19, 2020)
Sutter Health pays the highest to MAs in Massachusetts. The other top-paying employers and the respective clinical medical assistant salary in Massachusetts are outlined above.
Benefits for Massachusetts Medical Assistants other than Salaries
Not only wages but add-on benefits are crucial to evaluate when considering your medical assistant salary package. These perks differ from state to state and also employer to employer at times. They are provided over and above your in-hand pay:
-
Healthcare Perks
These include health insurance, dental and vision insurances, and more. Around 11% of the total compensation ($6,371) is constituted by the healthcare benefits in the state for MAs.
-
Time Off
A total of 8.6% of your compensation figure ($5,007) is made up of time off perks. Time off includes paid vacations. You can avail comp offs to take some time away from the humdrum of a medical job.
-
Social Security
The employer renders social security benefits, in addition to your core salary. Around 5.2% of your total compensation (around $3,018) amounts to social security benefits in the state.
-
401K/403B
These perks amount to around 3.3% of total MA compensation ($1,933) in the state. If you’re employed in for-profit establishments, you will benefit from the 401K perks. When employed across not-for-profit facilities, 403B benefits are rendered.
-
Pension
A total of 2.9% compensation ($1,657) is comprised of pension benefits over and above the core salary package and bonuses.
-
Disability
It amounts to 1.1% of total compensation ($631) for qualifying medical assistants in MA.
Your base salary ($39,404) and bonus ($43) as a medical assistant in MA state will equal around 67.9% and 0.1% of the overall compensation figure, respectively. This excludes all these additional benefits that, together with the base salary and bonus, formulate 100% of the compensation figure ($58,062).
Other valuable benefits over and above the MA salary in Massachusetts include flexible work schedules, tuition reimbursement, and employee assistance programs.
Source: salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
Salaries of Similar Professions in Massachusetts
| Related Professions | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Clinical Assistant | $16.30/hour |
| Back Office Medical Assistant | $3,108/month |
| Medical Office Assistant | $16.56/hour |
| Medical Receptionist | $16.51/hour |
| Medical Scribe | $16.04/hour |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 17, 2020)
Down the line, if you want to consider changing paths slightly, you may look at these related professions (salaries of each outlined in the table above). Medical Office Assistants are the highest paid amongst related occupations at $16.56 per hour but still considerably lesser than the $18.77 medical assistant salary in Massachusetts 2020. The wages of other associated professions ranged between $16.04 to $16.51 per hour.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for MA Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
To capitalize on the maximum benefits of becoming a medical assistant in Massachusetts, it is advisable to pursue certification from an accrediting body. Certified medical assistant salary in Massachusetts is typically more than medical assistant pay in Massachusetts. For medical assistant certification, you must graduate from one of the accredited Massachusetts MA programs. Here, you shall be made aware of the medical assistant scope of practice in Massachusetts and rendered all the skills that your future employer will be looking for.
The two most recognized MA certifications in the state as well as across the USA are:
- CMA or the Certified Medical Assistant credential by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
- RMA or the Registered Medical Assistant credential by the American Medical Technologists (AMT)
Do your research and find out how much certified medical assistants make in Massachusetts to compare the pay prospects and make your call.
MA state does show immense promise for the field in terms of job growth. The medical assisting industry is indeed one that employs the highest number of individuals in the state.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
|
Massachusetts |
16,610 | 18,010 | 1,400 | +8.4% | 2,050 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored Resource, Projections Central (2018-2028 report)
Hiring Trends
- In the state of Massachusetts, the healthcare industry accounts for 1 in every 5 jobs. The employers from the healthcare industry added more vacancies between 2008 and 2018 than any of the other sectors. Approximately 18% of the total employment was contributed by healthcare alone (2018). Healthcare also built more establishments than any other industry in Massachusetts.
- As per Zippia.com’s report on the fastest-growing jobs in Massachusetts, medical assisting ranked 18th amongst the top 20 in 2019. With a whopping 107.7% growth projection, the industry is set to have 17,540 vacancies on the whole by 2024.
- As per Wbur.org’s data report on future jobs in MA, medical assisting outshines as one of the occupations with the highest job growth (2014-2024). A total of 2,411 medical assistant jobs in Massachusetts are projected to be added by the medical industry. Here is a snapshot of the other occupations that manifest the highest growth in the number of open positions from 2014-2024:
Source: Massachusetts Office of Labor and Workforce Development - According to USA Wage’s Top 200 Popular Jobs in Massachusetts list, medical assistance again ranks in the top 100 most popular jobs on the 68th position. A total of 14,990 professionals are employed by the industry, contributing 0.41% of the total employment figure. They also estimated how much medical assistants make in Massachusetts, and $40,770 was the average medical assistant salary in MA, as per USA Wage’s data.
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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.
