Medical assistant jobs in Hawaii

In Hawaii, the typical medical assistant earns $48,410 annually, which works out to $23.28 an hour. Typical pay here means the middle: half of medical assistants earn more, half earn less. That's above the US median of $45,690. According to federal wage data, Hawaii ranks 9th for medical assistant pay among the 50 states and Washington, DC.

In the middle half of Hawaii's medical assistant jobs, pay runs from $45,290 to $55,940. The bottom tenth makes $38,580 or less, while the top tenth earns $60,030 or more.

If the pay and job outlook make training worth exploring, pick the accredited program in the program table and send that school a Request information form.

Most positions are on Oahu. The Urban Honolulu area has about 2,700 medical assistant jobs, and the Kahului-Wailuku area on Maui has about 410. Median pay is higher in the Kahului-Wailuku area, though it has far fewer medical assistant jobs than the Urban Honolulu area, according to area figures from the same federal survey.

Statewide, medical assistants make up 6.2 out of every 1,000 jobs. Hawaii places 39 of 51 in total job count.

Hawaii's labor agency expects around 540 medical assistant openings annually through 2034. That total covers newly created roles as well as positions left behind when someone retires or moves on. You can view the state's own forecast at Projections Central.

Job counts are projected to reach 4,400 in 2034, up from 3,860 in 2024. That works out to 13.8% growth, slightly ahead of the national rate of 12.5%, and places Hawaii 29 of 51 for growth. Its ranking for annual openings is 40 of 51.

Not in this state. Hawaii does not require medical assistants to hold a certification or license, and state law does not actually name the job. Doctors may assign tasks thanks to a narrow exception written into Hawaii's medical practice law, and that exception covers people who carry out only a small number of procedures under a physician's direction. For nursing duties, separate rules apply. Only registered nurses may hand nursing tasks to unlicensed staff; the Board of Nursing wants that delegation to stay rare rather than routine.

One firm restriction to understand before you begin training: performing diagnostic x-rays in Hawaii requires a state radiographer license, and getting one also requires national registration in that field. Medical assistants are not included among those exempt from this rule, so you cannot take diagnostic x-rays as part of the job unless you hold that license.

Hawaii has three schools with medical assistant graduates on record, and one of them has an accredited program (CAAHEP or ABHES). That is the one you can request information from. Accreditation means an outside organization has reviewed the program. Each school's reported figures can be checked through the federal College Navigator.

Nationally, most medical assistant programs are brief. Among the 378 career schools that report program length, the median runs 9 months, and 257 of those programs last between 7 and 9 months. The briefest program takes 2 months and the longest takes 32.

Price varies with the kind of school. For career schools that post a single price covering the entire program, the median cost for tuition, fees and books is $17,257. At public colleges, a year of full-time study has median tuition and fees of $4,346 for local residents, based on federal college data. A large share of listed programs, 1,049 out of 1,094, participate in federal student aid.

If home study suits you better, 30 programs nationwide can be finished through distance education, and 14 of those hold accreditation. Classes happen online, while the hands-on clinical practice, often called an externship, takes place in person.

Ready to take the next step? Pick the accredited program and send that school a Request information form with your name, email, phone, ZIP code and when you'd like to start.

Medical assistant pay sits above nursing assistant and phlebotomist work and well below licensed nursing jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, here are national medians for May 2025.

Medical assistant work pays more than nursing assistant or phlebotomy work, and in Hawaii it pays better still, with a median of $48,410. If that sounds right for you, send the accredited program a Request information form today.