How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Missouri?
Medical assistants in Missouri make $15.92 per hour, as per BLS, and as per indeed.com, the hourly salary noted is $14.58, which is 7% lower than the national hourly salary. As per ZipRecruiter and salary.com, the hourly salary for MAs in Missouri is $17.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $15.92 | $33,110 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $14.56 | $33,892 | January 21, 2021 |
| Salary.com | $17 | $34,638 | December 28, 2020 |
| ZipRecruiter | $17 | $36,271 | January 11, 2021 |
It can be noted that the annual salary of medical assistants in Missouri range between $33,000 to $36,000 as per different research data.
Medical Assistant Pay at Different Percentiles in MO
| Percentile | Annual Salary (Missouri) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $23,990 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $27,890 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $33,160 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $38,040 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $42,130 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
As can be seen above, at all percentiles, the annual wages in Missouri was lower than the national figures.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in MO
Different cities have different salaries for their medical assistants in a state, and with Missouri, it is no different. There are several reasons why this is so, and without getting into their detail, here’s an insight into the highest paying cities for medical assistants in Missouri:
| City | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | $17 | $16.00 |
| Jefferson City, MO | $17 | $15.83 |
| Chesterfield, MO | $17 | $15.28 |
| Florissant, MO | $17 | $14.60 |
| Saint Peters, MO | $17 | $14.39 |
| Columbia, MO | $17 | $14.16 |
| Independence, MO | $17 | $14.12 |
| Creve Coeur, MO | – | $14.09 |
| St. Louis, MO | $17 | $13.83 |
| Springfield, MO | $17 | $13.45 |
Source: salary.com (as of December 28, 2020) Indeed.com (as of January 21, 2021)
According to indeed.com, the two highest paying cities include Kansas City with $16 and Jefferson City with $15.83, and the third-highest paying city is Chesterfield with $15.28. The two lowest paying cities out on the list are Springfield and St. Louis.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Missouri Medical Assistants
Similarly, metropolitan areas have medical assistant salaries that are different from one another, and the highest paying metropolitan area in Missouri is St. Louis with $34,040, followed by Kansas City with $34,920.
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $34,040 | $25,950 | $34,210 | $42,620 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $34,920 | $25,650 | $34,740 | $46,330 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO | $30,150 | $22,630 | $29,590 | $38,850 |
| Springfield, MO | $28,080 | $20,960 | $27,680 | $36,940 |
| Joplin, MO | $29,810 | $21,880 | $29,190 | $39,400 |
| Columbia, MO | $32,350 | $24,640 | $31,490 | $41,560 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $29,690 | $22,100 | $28,280 | $40,120 |
| Jefferson City, MO | $30,310 | $22,180 | $29,600 | $39,940 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $29,290 | $21,840 | $28,880 | $38,000 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
The two lowest out of the highest paying list in Missouri includes St. Joseph and Jefferson City, which paid between $29,000-$30,000 mean annual salary approximately.
Top 5 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
The total number of medical assistants employed in Missouri is 10,870, and the employment rate per 1,000 jobs is 3.86. These are the top 5 metropolitan areas in Missouri that have the highest number of MAs employed:
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 5,890 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 4,260 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO | 910 |
| Springfield, MO | 820 |
| Joplin, MO | 260 |
| Columbia, MO | 240 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
St. Louis, with 5,890 medical assistants employed, is the metropolitan area that has the highest number of MAs employed and almost makes up for 50% of the total employed MAs, closely followed by Kansas City with 4,260 MAs. Together they make up for 90% of the total MAs employed in the state.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Missouri
From clinical settings to ambulatory ones, medical assistants are employed in different settings. While some employers pay well, others pay just fine. Here are the top 10 paying employers for medical assistants in MO:
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $22.37 |
| NYU Langone Health | $20.65 |
| Atrius Health | $20.11 |
| Virginia Mason | $19.97 |
| Scripps Health | $19.76 |
| St. Louis School of Phlebotomy | $18.99 |
| Kansas City School of Phlebotomy | $18.93 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | $18.88 |
| Sutter Health | $18.48 |
| Quest Diagnostics | $17.79 |
Source: indeed (as of January 21, 2021)
Though the hourly salary of medical assistants in Missouri is not more than $14.58 as per indeed, some employers go above and beyond to pay their MAs well. The top-paying employer is Kaiser Permanente, with $22.37, like every other state, closely followed by NYU Langone Health and Atrius Health. Two internal organizations that pay at par include Kansas City School of Phlebotomy and St. Louis School of Phlebotomy.
Benefits for Missouri Medical Assistants other than Salaries
A medical assistant in Missouri has a base salary of $34,638, which is 66.9% of their total compensation. They also receive a bonus of $36, which amounts to 0.1% of their remuneration. However, besides their base salary, they receive many perks throughout the year, amounting to $17,135. Total compensation for MAs in Missouri, including the 33% benefits, comes to $51,808 per year.
-
Healthcare
$6,371 is paid to medical assistants in Missouri, besides the base salary compensation of MAs, which makes up for another 12.3% of the total benefit value.
-
Time Off
A total of 8.5% of compensation is allocated for paid leave, which becomes $4,401 in monetary terms in a year.
-
Social Security
$2,653 is reserved towards your social security benefits, and it makes up for a whopping 5.1% of the total compensation value.
-
401K/403B
$1,699 is dedicated towards retirement plans that make up for another 3.3% of your total compensation.
-
Pension
Another $1,456 is saved for the pension to ensure a healthy life and improved well-being post retirement. For this complimentary benefit, 2.8% of your total compensation is reserved that MAs are entitled to.
-
Disability
1.1% is dedicated towards disability insurance for medical assistants in Missouri, which is $555 a year in monetary terms.
-
Flexible Work Hours
Flexible work hours are provided to MAs in MO as well. They don’t have to work night shifts or on holiday shifts unless necessary. Besides, they don’t have to work beyond their shift hours ordained to them in the state.
(Source: salary.com as of December 28, 2020)
Salaries of Similar Professions in Missouri
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Dermatology Assistant | $14.70 |
| Clinical Assistant | $13.94 |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $13.54 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $13.64 |
| Medical Scribe | $13.40 |
| Medical Receptionist | $13.12 |
Source: indeed (as of January 21, 2021)
The salaries of similar professions in Missouri have been given above, out of which, Dermatology Assistant earns the highest $14.70 per hour, followed by Clinical Assistant. All other salaries are lesser than that of MAs in Missouri.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $112,589 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $103,674 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $40,055 |
| Medical Secretary | $39,702 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $36,186 |
| Medical Scribe | $33,281 |
Source: salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
The salary of Physician Assistant- Specialty ($112,589) is the highest, followed by Physician Assistant- Medical ($103,674). Other well-paying similar professions include Medical Billing Specialist, Medical Secretary, and Medical Librarian Assistant, along with Medical Scribe.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for MO Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
Though, like most states, Missouri does not make it mandatory for MAs to have formal training or national certification, it is always a better idea, considering the competition that the profession is experiencing these days. You must procure formal training from a CAAHEP sponsored or ABHES accredited organization to be eligible for applying for any of these nationally recognized certifications-
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
- National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
|
Missouri |
10,560 | 12,650 | 2,090 | +19.8% | 1,490 |
Source: Projections Central
Missouri has 1,490 annual job openings anticipated till 2028 by Projections Central. They had a total number of 10,560 medical assistants employed in the state in 2018, which is expected to rise to 12,650 in 2028, witnessing a 19.8% change and 2,090 change in numbers.
Hiring Trends
- As per an independent report by Medical Field Careers, the profession of a medical assistant features among the best healthcare careers in Missouri, ranking 11th among the twelve professions mentioned.
- The profession of a medical assistant features among the 100 best jobs in Missouri, as per Missouri Health Careers.
- Similarly, a report from careeronestop.org reveals that out of 535 growing occupations in Missouri, MAs feature among the top 100 fastest-growing jobs, ranking at 98, anticipating a 17% growth till 2028 with 10,720 MAs in MO.
- Another careeronestop.org report claims medical assistant to be one of the top 100 professions with the most number of job openings, featuring 64 on that list, having 1,200 projected annual openings in the near future.
- A 2019 survey of Zippia found medical assisting to be among the top 100 jobs, featuring 82 on that list, with a 110.9% growth and 10,570 total jobs to be available in 2024.
- Medical assisting also features among the top 200 popular professions in 2019 in the USA Wage report and ranks 58 among the top 100, reflecting a 0.39% growth.
- According to the zippia.com report, the top 5 companies in Missouri are Express Scripts, Saint Luke’s Health System, Freeman Health System, St. Louis’s Children Hospital, and CoxHealth.
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.
