Medical assistant jobs in California

In California, roughly 117,060 people work as medical assistants, about 6.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. By job count, California places ahead of every other state and Washington, DC, based on the federal wage survey.

California's labor agency projects around 17,580 openings a year, the largest yearly total of any state. That total covers newly created jobs as well as jobs that become available when workers leave, based on state job projections.

Job counts are projected to reach 139,400 in 2034, up from 113,600 in 2024. That works out to growth of 22.7%, versus 12.5% for the nation overall, and California ranks 9th among the 50 states and DC combined.

A typical medical assistant in California earns $49,660 a year, about $23.88 an hour. That is more than the $45,690 national figure and puts California 6th among the 50 states and DC, based on the federal wage survey.

Earnings vary by worker. The middle 50% of California medical assistants earn between $46,240 and $61,870 annually. Ten percent earn $39,290 or less, while the top ten percent make $77,300 or more.

Your location can have a big effect on your earnings. Of the metro areas in this table, Sacramento has the highest median pay at $61,970, while Los Angeles has the most jobs at 39,770.

The federal wage survey provides these numbers.

California doesn't license or certify medical assistants. The Medical Board of California confirms this.

Some duties still require training. Giving injections and conducting skin tests call for at least 10 clock hours of instruction, and drawing blood requires another 10 hours. A supervisor must also be on site. Anyone who later wants to teach other medical assistants must receive a certificate from an organization approved by the Medical Board.

The site includes 151 California schools that share their medical assistant graduate numbers with the federal education survey. Of those 151 schools, 36 have a program accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES, according to College Navigator.

Nationally, career schools that submit this information report a median program length of 9 months. Most take 7 to 9 months, though certain programs run just 2 months, while others stretch beyond a full year. Some schools also award associate degrees.

The price depends on the kind of school you attend. The following national figures for 2023-24 come from the federal education survey.

Nearly all the schools we list nationwide take part in federal student aid, so you can ask about help with costs when you request information.

Some schools offer classes through distance education. The hands-on portion must always be completed in person. The supervised clinical practice, sometimes called a practicum or externship, takes place in person. Nationwide, 30 programs offer this option, and 14 of them are accredited.

Nationally, medical assistants earn about the same as phlebotomists and more than nursing assistants. These national median figures, published for May 2025, come from the federal wage survey.

California expects about 17,580 openings a year, more than any other state, and most career school programs take about 9 months. Choose an accredited program and ask that school about getting started.

1. Browse California's accredited programs on our California programs page and pick one.
2. Use the Request information form under the program table on that page.
3. Enter your name, email, phone number, ZIP code and start time.
4. Submit the short form to send your request to the school.

Your request goes only to the school you picked.