How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Oregon?
A medical assistant’s salary in Oregon is about $39,790 a year, or $19.13 an hour, according to BLS. It is an average of all the wages reported to BLS until March 31, 2020. Many other websites reported medical assistant salaries in Oregon for 2020, out of which the most reliable and popular ones are mentioned in the table below.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $19.13 | $39,790 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $18.80 | $43,506 | November 16, 2020 |
| Salary.com | $17 | $36,072 | October 28, 2020 |
| ZipRecruiter | $22 | $45,891 | November 03, 2020 |
Average Medical Assistant Salaries in Oregon
In the state of Oregon, the average medical assistant salary, as of June 13, 2020, was $17.96 per hour, which was 16% higher than the national average, according to indeed.com.
According to the BLS, the mean hourly and annual salary of an MA in OR, as of May 2019, was $19.13 and $39,790, respectively.
| Percentile | Annual Salary (Oregon) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $28,800 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $34,110 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $39,570 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $46,350 | $40,270 |
| 90% | 51,010 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of May 2019)
As shown above, at different percentage levels, the annual salary of medical assistants in Oregon was much higher than the national wage estimate. There are more than 50% MAs in the state that earn above $40,000 per year.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in OR
Oregon pays decent to its medical assistants, and it is no surprise to see the largest cities paying the highest in the state. It is a result of various hospitals and other healthcare facilities present in those cities.
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Corvallis | $21.14 | $17 |
| Portland | $19.40 | $18 |
| Tigard | $19.22 | – |
| Medford | $18.29 | $17 |
| Bend | $18.08 | $17 |
| Hillsboro | $17.95 | $18 |
| Eugene | $17.93 | $17 |
| Salem | $17.21 | $17 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 12, 2020) and salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
Corvallis was the highest paying city for medical assistants in Oregon, according to indeed.com, while salary.com reported Portland and Hillsboro to be the top in that list. The other cities on this list are Tigard, Salem, Bend, Medford, and Eugene.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Oregon Medical Assistants
Below are the metropolitan areas in Oregon that pay the highest to their medical assistants. This table is curated from the data available on the BLS official website as of March 31, 2020.
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $41,670 | $31,740 | $42,010 | $51,930 |
| Corvallis, OR | $41,430 | $33,880 | $40,780 | $51,540 |
| Eugene, OR | $40,660 | $30,710 | $40,490 | $51,780 |
| Medford, OR | $40,120 | $30,700 | $38,920 | $51,450 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR | $39,050 | $31,110 | $37,950 | $49,930 |
| Salem, OR | $38,870 | $27,140 | $38,470 | $50,320 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $36,500 | $25,520 | $36,530 | $48,290 |
| Albany, OR | $34,180 | $25,260 | $34,170 | $46,010 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
It can be seen that Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is the area with the highest average wage at $41,670 a year, followed by Corvallis at $41,430, Eugene at $40,660/year, and Medford at $40,120/year. Other areas included Bend-Redmond, Salem, Grand Pass, and Albany, paying between $34,180-$39,050 a year to their medical assistants.
Top 10 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
The table below shows the metropolitan areas of Oregon with the highest number of medical assistants employed. The data comes from the BLS website.
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 7,540 |
| Salem, OR | 1,520 |
| Eugene, OR | 1,120 |
| Medford, OR | 820 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR | 650 |
| Corvallis, OR | 300 |
| Albany, OR | 270 |
| Grants Pass, OR | 250 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
It is quite clear that Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro is the highest employer of medical assistants in Oregon by a considerable margin. It has 7,540 medical assistants, compared to 1,520 in Salem, 1,120 in Eugene, 820 in Medford, and 650 in Bend-Redmont.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Oregon
The list below has all the top employers for medical assistants in Oregon. The number one spot is taken by Medely, which usually belongs to Sutter Health, which sits at the second spot in OR.
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Medely | $31.14 |
| Sutter Health | $27.32 |
| The Springs Living | $26.36 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | $24.32 |
| Jefferson Healthcare | $24.18 |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center | $22.98 |
| Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System | $21.52 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | $21.50 |
| GreenField Health | $20.57 |
| Emory Healthcare | $20.45 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 12, 2020)
Medely pays about $31.14 an hour to its medical assistants, which stands on top, followed by Sutter Health paying $27.32 an hour. It was followed by The Springs Living, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Jefferson Healthcare, and Virginia Mason Medical Center, paying between $22.98 to $26.36 hourly.
Benefits for Oregon Medical Assistants other than Salaries
A medical assistant’s pay in Oregon isn’t the only benefit of this job, but it comes with many other perks. The salary and bonus come to about $36,111 a year, making only about 2/3rd of the total remuneration. The monetary value of other benefits like healthcare, pension, 401K, etc., comes to about $17,580 a year, making the total compensation a whopping $53,691 a year.
-
Healthcare
Healthcare is the largest contributor to a medical assistant’s overall remuneration, 11.9% to be precise. This amount comes to about $6,371, which is one of the most significant advantages of working in the healthcare industry.
-
Time Off
A medical assistant gets about $4,583 worth of time off, including holidays. It comes to about 8.5% of their total compensation.
-
Social Security
Social security of medical assistants in Oregon is paid for by their employers, and it comes to about $2,762, making up 5.1% of their total remuneration.
-
401K/403B
Medical assistant employers make contributions to one of these two retirement funds depending on the company. The annual amount comes to 3.3% of the entire remuneration, or $1,769.
-
Pension
Your employer will contribute to your pension fund with $1,517 a year, which is about 2.8% of your total compensation as an MA in OR.
-
Disability
Your employer’s contribution to this fund is about $578 a year, or 1.1% of your total compensation if you work as a medical assistant in Oregon.
(Source: salary.com as of October 28, 2020)
Salaries of Similar Professions in Oregon
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Clinical Assistant | $21.31 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $16.07 |
| Medical Receptionist | $15.58 |
| Medical Scribe | $14.91 |
| Back Office Medical Assistant | $14.34 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 12, 2020)
This list shows some more professions similar to medical assistance and the salary they pay, according to indeed.com, as of November 12, 2020. Clinical Assistants get paid the highest at $21.31 an hour, compared to other professions. These professions included Medical Office Assistance, Medical Receptionist, Medical Scribe, and Back-Office Medical Assistance, paying between $14.34 an hour to $16.07 an hour.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $117,227 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $107,972 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $41,709 |
| Medical Secretary | $41,345 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $37,691 |
Source: salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
The list above shows the data about professions similar to medical assistanT, as per the data provided by salary.com, as of October 28, 2020. Physician Assistants, both Specialty and Medical, get a handsome salary of $117,227 a year and $107,972 a year, respectively. Other professions, like Medical Billing Specialists, Medical Secretary, and Medical Librarian Assistance, get $41,709, $41,345, and $37,691 a year, respectively.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for OR Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
A medical assistant’s scope of practice in Oregon changes with experience, seniority level, and certification/registration. A medical assistant can be trusted with more and more complicated clinical and medical procedures if certified and have been in the position for some years. If certifications matter so much, you must be wondering how much do certified medical assistants make in Oregon. The answer isn’t that simple, but it is easy to say that a certified medical assistant’s salary in Oregon is a little higher. They are also expected to climb the promotion ladder faster than non-certified professionals.
As per Projections Central’s 2018-2028 report, medical assisting was said to grow at a rate of 27.1%, with 13,580 employees in 2018 to 17,260 employees in 2028. It means there will be 3,680 more medical assistants employed in Oregon in 2028 as a result of 2,070 job openings every year.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
| Oregon | 13,580 | 17,260 | 3,680 | +27.1% | 2,070 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored Resource, Projections Central (2018-2028 report)
Hiring Trends
- Healthcare and social assistance are the top job providers in Oregon, and it is a growing field because of the rising aging population in the state. According to Oregon Govt, it is expected to grow faster than any other field in the state, with 259,100 employees working in healthcare and social assistance as of May 2018.
- In 2019, according to zippia.com, medical assistance was the 26th highest growing job with an annual growth of 124.7%, which will see it have 12,080 jobs in 2024. The average MA salary in Oregon was reported to be $35,860 by zippia.com.
- Qualityinfo.org reported in 2019 that the medical assistant jobs in Oregon were 13,717, which are expected to reach 17,046 in 2029. It means the creation of 2,027 jobs (24.4%) with annual change openings at 333 and annual replacement openings at 1,694.
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.
