How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in West Virginia?
A medical assistant’s salary in West Virginia for 2020 is given in the table below from various sources as of their last updates, including the government source BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $13.80 | $28,710 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $12.64 | $29,434 | January 15, 2021 |
| Salary.com | $15 | $32,203 | December 18, 2020 |
| ZipRecruiter | $13 | $26,356 | December 25, 2020 |
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (as of May 2019) estimated the mean hourly and annual salary of medical assistants in West Virginia to be $13.80 and $28,710, respectively.
| Percentile | Annual Salary (West Virginia) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $21,790 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $24,790 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $28,250 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $31,780 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $37,190 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of May 2019)
As observed in the table above, the salary of medical assistants in West Virginia is less than the national average at all percentiles.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in WV
So, how much do medical assistants make in West Virginia’s various cities? The table below shows the top cities in the state paying the highest salaries to medical assistants.
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Huntington, WV | $17.10 | $16 |
| Parkersburg, WV | $16.43 | $16 |
| Martinsburg, WV | $13.81 | $19 |
| Morgantown, WV | $13.39 | $17 |
| Beckley, WV | $12.70 | $15 |
| Weirton, WV | $12.69 | $17 |
| Charleston, WV | $12.37 | $16 |
| Bridgeport, WV | $12.32 | $15 |
| Princeton, WV | $11.66 | $16 |
| Saint Albans, WV | $11.37 | $16 |
| Wheeling, WV | $11.01 | $17 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 15, 2021) and salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
It is evident that Huntington took the number one spot with $17.10/hour according to indeed.com and Martinsburg with $19/hour according to salary.com. Other cities paid between $11 and $17 an hour to their medical assistants in various healthcare facilities.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for West Virginia Medical Assistants
A medical assistant’s pay in West Virginia’s various metropolitan areas is given below. The table also lists down the salaries in various stages of a professional’s career.
| 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 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $35,050 | $26,840 | $34,260 | $46,910 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | $34,400 | $26,340 | $32,370 | $48,040 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $30,790 | $21,480 | $31,440 | $39,740 |
| Charleston, WV | $30,760 | $24,570 | $29,590 | $39,660 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $29,620 | $23,960 | $29,340 | $37,280 |
| Beckley, WV | $29,590 | $23,660 | $29,170 | $37,180 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | $29,510 | $22,800 | $29,280 | $37,620 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $29,270 | $21,840 | $28,650 | $38,330 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $28,210 | $17,290 | $29,740 | $39,150 |
| Morgantown, WV | $27,330 | $21,660 | $26,940 | $34,000 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
If we talk about the mean annual average income, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria paid $41,040 to its medical assistants, which is way higher than the second-placed Hagerstown-Martinsburg paying $35,050. Other metropolitan areas paid between $34,400 and $27,330 a year.
Top 10 Cities/Areas with Highest Employment
The top 10 cities with the highest employment of medical assistants in West Virginia are listed in the table below.
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 11,790 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 820 |
| Charleston, WV | 630 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 560 |
| Morgantown, WV | 400 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 400 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 300 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 260 |
| Beckley, WV | 180 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 170 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
The employment of medical assistants in West Virginia is mostly concentrated in one metropolitan area named Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, which has 11,970 professionals. Huntington-Ashland stood second with 820 medical assistants, and Charleston stood third with 630. Other areas, in this top 10 list, employed a total of 1,870 MAs combined.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in West Virginia
A medical assistant’s salary in West Virginia’s top employers is presented in the table below.
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $23.56 |
| UCLA Health | $23.15 |
| NYU Langone Health | $20.62 |
| Virginia Mason | $20.02 |
| Scripps Health | $19.76 |
| Atrius Health | $19.54 |
| Sutter Health | $18.48 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | $18.15 |
| Quest Diagnostics | $17.79 |
| Northwestern Medicine | $17.64 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 15, 2021)
Kaiser Permanente pays the highest to its medical assistants with an hourly salary of $23.56 an hour, while UCLA Health took the second spot with $23.15 an hour. Others among West Virginia’s top employers paid between $20.62 and $17.64.
Benefits for West Virginia Medical Assistants other than Salaries
Medical assistants in West Virginia earn $32,236 a year, received as monetary compensation (salary+bonus), which makes up 66.3% of their total yearly compensation of $48,614. The remaining 33.7% or $16,381 is divided among the various benefits mentioned below.
-
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is known to take care of its employees by providing them with the best patient care facilities by spending about $6,371 on their medical assistants in West Virginia. It comes to about 13.1% of their total compensation.
-
Time Off
The amount of time you work should be compensated by the amount of time off you enjoy to recharge. The total time off of medical assistants in West Virginia holds a monetary value of about $4,091 a year, making up about 8.4% of their yearly remuneration.
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Social Security
Yearly social security payments of about $2,466 a year are made by the employers of medical assistants in West Virginia. It makes up about 5.1% of the total yearly compensation.
-
401K/403B
It is one of the retirement funds set up for employees by employers all over the US. The contribution for medical assistants in West Virginia by their employers is about $1,580, or 3.2% of their total remuneration.
-
Pension
The pension fund is also a retirement fund made to keep the employee afloat after retirement. Employers of West Virginia medical assistants contribute about $1,354 a year to this fund, which is 2.8% of their yearly compensation.
-
Disability
Employers also make sure that their employees are taken care of by partially replacing their income in case of a god forbid permanent disability. They contribute $516 a year for their medical assistants in West Virginia, which is about 1.1% of their total remuneration.
(Source: salary.com as of December 28, 2020)
Salaries of Similar Professions in West Virginia
If you’ve wondered how much do certified medical assistants make in West Virginia, you would want to have a look at the table below. Not only does it answer this question, but it also shows the salaries of various other professions that are similar to medical assisting, according to indeed.com.
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Clinical Assistant | $14.39 |
| Medical Scribe | $13.45 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $12.52 |
| Certified Medical Assistant | $12.77 |
| Medical Receptionist | $11.64 |
| Dermatology Assistant | $23.05 |
Source: indeed.com (as of January 15, 2021)
If you’ve wondered where an MA’s salary in West Virginia stands among other similar professions, the following table will answer your question with the data derived from salary.com.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $104,674 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $96,386 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $37,239 |
| Medical Secretary | $36,911 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $33,642 |
Source: salary.com (as of December 28, 2020)
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for WV Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
It can be seen from the Projections Central data below that medical assisting in West Virginia has to go a long way. It is projected to have 600 more employed by 2028, growing at 16.7%, making the employment go from 3,600 in 2018 to 4,200 in 2028. There will be 490 job openings every year by 2028, which promises various job opportunities in the coming years.
Medical assistant certifications in West Virginia accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES will help you achieve your dream of becoming a medical assistant in a better and more systematic way. You can achieve many certifications, but the following two are the ones to look for because they are recognized all over the country:
- AAMA’s Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
- AMT’s Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
A certified medical assistant’s salary in West Virginia is better, which is why all the professionals recommend it. A medical assistant’s scope of practice in West Virginia also depends on the certification, apart from experience and competence.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
|
West Virginia |
3,600 | 4,200 | 600 | +16.7% | 490 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored Resource, Projections Central (2018-2028 report)
Hiring Trends
- CareerOneStop’s list of 25 fastest-growing careers between 2016 and 2026 placed medical assisting in 14th place, with a 23% increase in employment from 3,410 to 4,180 in just 10 years.
- They also put medical assisting at the 47th spot in the top 50 list of careers with the highest employment in West Virginia for 2016 with 3,410 working professionals.
- Another list by CareerOneStop ranked the top 50 careers with the most job openings in 2016. Medical assisting made the list at number 41 with 480 projected annual job openings.
- The fastest-growing careers of 2019 by Zippia placed medical assisting at the 19th spot with a growth of 108.7% to have 3,730 jobs by 2024.
- The best healthcare facilities to work for in West Virginia were listed by Zippia based on salaries, company financial health, and employee diversity. The top 5 in this list are Cabell Huntington Hospital, Wheeling Hospital, CAMC Health System, Weirton Medical Center, and Minnie Hamilton Health System.
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.
