Medical assistant jobs in Pennsylvania

Roughly 23,050 people are employed as medical assistants in Pennsylvania. That works out to 3.8 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, which places Pennsylvania 9th among 51 areas (50 states plus Washington, DC) by workforce size, based on the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A good share of those positions cluster near the two largest cities. Around 13,150 of them are in the Philadelphia area, with another 4,810 in Pittsburgh.

The state's labor agency forecasts about 3,610 medical assistant openings annually. That total covers newly created positions along with jobs that open up when someone retires or leaves, and it puts Pennsylvania 7th out of 51 for openings per year.

Growth here is more modest than in many parts of the country. The agency expects the job count to rise from 26,680 positions in 2024 to 29,480 by 2034, which is a 10.5% gain. Nationally, the US is projected to grow 12.5%. On that measure, Pennsylvania comes in 45th out of 51.

Put simply, this is a big field with many openings each year, though Pennsylvania's growth trails that of several other states.

The median yearly figure is $43,920, which works out to $21.12 an hour. Half of medical assistants earn more than that figure and half earn less, which makes it a better reflection of a typical paycheck than an average would. Across the US, the median is $45,690; on pay, Pennsylvania places 32nd out of 51.

Most workers earn within a fairly tight range. The middle half of Pennsylvania medical assistants make between $38,950 and $46,490. The bottom tenth earn $36,810 or less, while the top tenth makes $48,500 or more.

Your location can have a noticeable effect. Pay is highest around Philadelphia ($45,890) and Allentown ($45,400), and lowest around Scranton ($42,760) and Pittsburgh ($42,840).

• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington: median pay of $45,890 a year, with about 13,150 medical assistant jobs
• Pittsburgh: median pay of $42,840 a year, with about 4,810 medical assistant jobs
• Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton: median pay of $45,400 a year, with about 1,640 medical assistant jobs
• Harrisburg-Carlisle: median pay of $43,820 a year, with about 1,370 medical assistant jobs
• Scranton-Wilkes-Barre: median pay of $42,760 a year, with about 840 medical assistant jobs

These numbers come from the May 2025 federal wage survey. Of the metro areas listed here, the Philadelphia area has the most medical assistant jobs and the highest median pay.

No. The state asks for no certification or license for medical assistants. Instead, it regards you as a technician working under a doctor's delegation, meaning the doctor assigns you particular tasks and remains responsible for them.

Your doctor must be confident that you are trained and capable for each task, must tell the patient that the work has been delegated, and must be available as the task requires. Tasks requiring a doctor's level of expertise cannot be assigned to a medical assistant, per Pennsylvania's medical board rules.

X-rays work differently. You need a score of 70 or above on a limited exam offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, plus direct supervision from the doctor.

Since the doctor has to know you're trained before giving you tasks, a good program is your best first step.

We list 37 Pennsylvania schools that shared details of their medical assistant graduates with the federal government. Seven of those schools have a medical assistant program accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES.

Length and price differ widely. Across career schools nationwide that publish their timing, the median program runs 9 months, with the shortest taking 2 months and the longest 32. Career schools have a median published program price of $17,257, while at public colleges one year of full-time study carries a median in-district tuition of $4,346. Distance education is offered at some programs, so you can take your classes remotely. Supervised clinical practice, where you work with actual patients, always happens in person.

The Pennsylvania program page lists schools and shows which 7 are accredited, so you can find the one closest to you.

Choose one accredited program, then use the Request information form on the state program page to send that school your name, email, phone, ZIP code and start time. You can ask the school about its schedule, cost and clinical placements.