How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Pennsylvania?
BLS is the government source for all the employment and salary statistics, which reported on March 31, 2020 that medical assistant salary in Pennsylvania in 2020 was $16.1 an hour and $33,490 a year. The data from other reliable sources are presented in the table below.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $17.67 | $36,750 | March 31, 2022 |
| Indeed | $18.76 | $43,415 | November 03, 2022 |
| Ziprecruiter | $14.36 | $29,874 | October 28, 2022 |
| Salary.com | $17 | $38,355 | October 28, 2022 |
Average Medical Assistant Salaries in Pennsylvania
According to indeed.com, the average per hour salary of medical assistants in Pennsylvania was $14.61, as of 14 May 2020, which is 6% lower than the national average.
In Pennsylvania, the mean hourly and annual salary of a medical assistant, according to the BLS (as of May 2019) was $16.10 and $33,490, respectively.
| Percentile | Annual Salary (Pennsylvania) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $25,560 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $28,560 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $32,970 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $37,930 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $42,830 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS
The above table represents that the annual salary of medical assistants in Pennsylvania was less than the national average wage at different percentiles.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in PA
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $16.04 | $19 |
| Bryn Mawr | $16.02 | $19 |
| Reading | $15.98 | $17 |
| York | $15.96 | $17 |
| Harrisburg | $15.84 | $17 |
| Wynnewood | $15.79 | $19 |
| Allentown | $15.66 | $17 |
| Pittsburgh | $15.22 | $17 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 14, 2020) & salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
Philadelphia comes on top when it comes to medical assistant pay in Pennsylvania, with $16.04/hour according to indeed and $19/hour according to salary.com. The remaining cities paid between $16.02/hour and $15.22/hour, according to the data provided by indeed. This number spans from $19-$17 an hour, as per salary.com’s data.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Pennsylvania Medical Assistants
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $38,940 | $28,820 | $37,910 | $51,050 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $35,480 | $26,630 | $34,720 | $46,380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $35,310 | $26,260 | $35,200 | $46,890 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $34,520 | $24,590 | $34,530 | $45,630 |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | $34,460 | $27,110 | $32,680 | $46,780 |
| Reading, PA | $33,650 | $26,770 | $33,410 | $41,380 |
| Lebanon, PA | $33,520 | $26,620 | $32,500 | $43,010 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $33,500 | $26,750 | $33,120 | $42,040 |
| Lancaster, PA | $33,380 | $25,940 | $31,010 | $45,050 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $32,980 | $26,470 | $32,900 | $40,300 |
| Williamsport, PA | $32,940 | $27,200 | $31,100 | $41,300 |
| Johnstown, PA | $32,850 | $26,560 | $31,570 | $43,130 |
| State College, PA | $32,610 | $25,810 | $31,970 | $41,030 |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton, PA | $32,440 | $26,490 | $31,860 | $39,720 |
| East Stroudsburg, PA | $32,370 | $26,550 | $31,280 | $40,050 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $32,360 | $25,270 | $31,950 | $40,610 |
| Altoona, PA | $30,530 | $24,910 | $29,670 | $38,920 |
| Erie, PA | $30,430 | $23,720 | $29,890 | $38,690 |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | $28,720 | $19,990 | $27,900 | $39,390 |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | $28,230 | $21,150 | $26,500 | $38,670 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
MA salary in Pennyslvania’s metropolitan areas sees New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY-NJ-PA) on top with an average salary of $38,940 a year. The second spot goes to Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (PA-NJ), with an annual average wage of $35,480.
Top 10 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 35,380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 15,360 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 5,580 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 2,610 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 1,680 |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 1,350 |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton, PA | 1,190 |
| Lancaster, PA | 1,140 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 1,100 |
| Reading, PA | 820 |
| Erie, PA | 550 |
| Altoona, PA | 420 |
| Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | 290 |
| East Stroudsburg, PA | 290 |
| Johnstown, PA | 280 |
| State College, PA | 220 |
| Lebanon, PA | 200 |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 190 |
| Williamsport, PA | 150 |
| Gettysburg, PA | 90 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY-NJ-PA) tops this list too, with 35,380 medical assistants employed. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (PA-NJ-DE-MD) and Pittsburgh (PA) took the second and third spots, with 15,360 and 5,580 medical assistants employed, respectively.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Pennsylvania
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Sutter Health | $26.83 |
| UT Southwestern Medical Center | $24.23 |
| Jefferson Healthcare | $24.18 |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center | $23.34 |
| General Healthcare Resources, Inc. | $23.26 |
| Medely | $22.23 |
| Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System | $21.52 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | $21.50 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $20.68 |
| Emory Healthcare | $20.45 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 14, 2020)
Sutter Health took the top spot in this list by paying $26.83/hour to its medical assistants, with other employers on the list paying anywhere between $24.23-$20.45 an hour.
Benefits for Pennsylvania Medical Assistants other than Salaries
When you work as a medical assistant in Pennsylvania, you get many perks and benefits apart from your salary and bonus. These perks have a monetary value of about $17,603, and they make about 32.7% of your total compensation, which is approximately $53,786. The salary and bonus taken here are $36,183, according to the data provided by salary.com, as of October 28, 2020.
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Healthcare
It is the top perk that you get for working in this field is healthcare, which is paid for by your employer. This amount comes to about $6,371, contributing to about 11.8% of your total remuneration.
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Time Off
There are many jobs with a lot of time off, and medical assistance is one of them. It compensates for all those emergency calls and late-night shifts and makes up about 8.5% ($4,593) of your total remuneration.
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Social Security
A medical assistant’s employer contributes to social security for about $2,768 a year, making up 5.1% of the compensation.
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401K/403B
Employers also contribute to 401K or 403B depending on the organization structure for their medical assistants. It comes to about $1,773 a year, or 3.3% of the complete compensation.
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Pension
This retirement fund gets about 2.8% of your total remuneration ($1,520/year) from your employer if you’re a medical assistant in Pennsylvania.
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Disability
Employers of medical assistants also contribute to the disability fund that will be a boon in case of disability. The amount they contribute is $579 a year, which is about 1.1% of the total compensation.
Salaries of Similar Professions in Pennsylvania
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical Receptionist | $13.96 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $13.83 |
| Clinical Assistant | $13.45 |
| Back-Office Medical Assistant | $12.55 |
| Medical Scribe | $12.42 |
Source: indeed.com (as of November 14, 2020)
Indeed reported that Medical Receptionist was the highest paying similar career option to the medical assistant, with an average hourly salary of $13.96. The other similar professions paid between $13.96-$12.43 an hour.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $117,462 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $108,188 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $41,792 |
| Medical Secretary | $41,428 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $37,767 |
Source: salary.com (as of October 28, 2020)
Salary.com’s data indicated that the best similar profession would be Physician Assistant (Specialty) that paid an average yearly salary of $117,462. Physician Assistants (Medical) stood at a close second with an annual salary of $108,188, while other professions paid between $41,792-$37,767 a year.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for PA Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
Pennsylvania is the fourth highest employer of medical assistants in the country, after California, Texas, and Florida. With the employment numbers set to rise to 33,180 in 2028, from 27,630 in 2018, Pennsylvania will have 5,550 more medical assistants in 10 years, 20.1% higher than in 2018. It is projected to create 3,910 medical assistant jobs in Pennsylvania every year from 2018-2028.
After completing one of the programs mentioned at the beginning of this article, you’ll need a medical assistant certification in Pennsylvania to get a suitable job with a reputed employer. Below are the two most popular national certifications that are recognized nationwide.
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential by the American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
While certification/registration is not necessary, employers prefer it, and also, certified medical assistant salary in Pennsylvania is higher than a non-certified one. They also have a better career path with a certification in their hand as it will help build trust in employers about their commitment to the job.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
| Pennsylvania | 27,630 | 33,180 | 5,550 | +20.1% | 3,910 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored resource, Projections Central (2018-2028 report)
Hiring Trends
- The healthcare industry makes up 14% of the total employment in the state of Pennsylvania, according to BLS, as of March 31, 2020.
- Medical assistance is projected to have 27,410 new jobs by 2024, according to Zippia’s May 17, 2019 article based on government projections from 2014 until 2024. It also mentioned that the growth rate of medical assistants in Pennsylvania was 114.6%, with an average wage of $31,430 a year.
- According to BLS, as of March 31, 2020, medical assistants made up 0.5% of the total workforce of Pennsylvania, with 29,280 professionals employed, which puts it at 45th in the list of professions with most employees. Their average salary was reported to be $32,970 per year.
- Medical assistance stood at 14th rank in the popularity index rankings of Pennsylvania with a rating of 1.3. It had 18,510 local employees earning an average salary of $24,956, according to seniorjobbank.org.
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.
