Medical Assistant Salary in California
Medical Assistants in California earn a median of $49,660 a year, or $23.88 an hour. That ranks California #6 of 51 states and is $3,970 more than the national median.
- Median / year
- $49,660
- Median / hour
- $23.88
- Employed
- 117,060
- National rank
- #6of 51
Pay range in California
Medical Assistant pay by California metro area
| Metro area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $77,410 | 1,360 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $64,820 | 1,550 |
| Napa, CA | $62,050 | 320 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $61,970 | 7,410 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $61,940 | 6,400 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $59,790 | 14,320 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $50,680 | 2,020 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $50,090 | 960 |
| Modesto, CA | $49,990 | 1,870 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $49,520 | 850 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $49,510 | 480 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $49,500 | 1,660 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $49,420 | 9,370 |
| Yuba City, CA | $49,410 | 430 |
| Salinas, CA | $48,890 | 1,080 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $47,840 | 1,740 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,760 | 39,770 |
| Chico, CA | $47,150 | 770 |
| Visalia, CA | $47,140 | 1,580 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,700 | 11,280 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $46,560 | 2,340 |
| Fresno, CA | $46,500 | 3,310 |
| Redding, CA | $46,210 | 520 |
| El Centro, CA | $45,290 | 390 |
| Merced, CA | $39,800 | 700 |
FAQ
How much does a medical assistant make in California?
The median annual wage is $49,660 ($23.88 per hour), according to the BLS for May 2025. That is $3,970 above the U.S. median of $45,690.
What do entry-level medical assistants make in California?
The lowest-paid 10% of California medical assistants earned $39,290 or less ($18.89/hour), a reasonable estimate for new graduates.
Where do medical assistants earn the most in California?
Vallejo, CA has the highest metro median at $77,410.
How many medical assistants work in California?
About 117,060 medical assistants were employed in California in May 2025.