Medical assistant salary in Alabama
- Typical (median) pay: $36,100 a year, or about $17.35 an hour
- Top 10% of earners: $45,040+
- Roughly 13,300 jobs statewide
- Projected growth 2024–2034: 17.3%
In Alabama, a medical assistant earns a median salary of $36,100 per year, which works out to $17.35 hourly, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A median simply means the midpoint: half the medical assistants statewide bring home more, and half bring home less.
That figure sits 21% under the national median of $45,690, placing Alabama at 50 out of 51 when you rank the states plus Washington, DC. Alabama pay is modest, but the job is common and growing, with about 1,910 openings expected each year. If you're ready to start, pick one accredited program on the Alabama programs page and send its short "Request information" form today.
- Median a year
- $36,100
- Lowest-paid tenth
- $29,630 or less
- Best-paid tenth
- $45,040 or more
- Medical assistant jobs
- 13,300
- Job growth 2024 to 2034
- +17.3%
The range of pay in Alabama
Pay for most Alabama medical assistants clusters around the median. The middle half earn between $32,390 and $38,360 annually, per BLS wage data.
| Pay group | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% of earners | $29,630 or less |
| Middle 50% | $32,390 to $38,360 |
| Average | $36,770 |
| Median | $36,100 |
| Top 10% of earners | $45,040 or more |
The average lands slightly above the median since a smaller set of top earners nudges it upward.
Pay in each Alabama metro area
Wages across cities stay within a tight span. The top median belongs to Huntsville at $36,920, while Gadsden comes in lowest at $34,250. For sheer job count, Birmingham leads with roughly 3,750.
Since wages barely change from one city to the next, how many jobs exist close to home could count for just as much as the pay rate itself.
| Metro area | Median a year | Median an hour | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | $36,920 | $17.75 | 1,720 |
| Birmingham, AL | $36,770 | $17.68 | 3,750 |
| Decatur, AL | $36,690 | $17.64 | 250 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $36,490 | $17.54 | 510 |
| Mobile, AL | $36,350 | $17.48 | 1,310 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $36,050 | $17.33 | 900 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $35,930 | $17.27 | 590 |
| Montgomery, AL | $35,810 | $17.22 | 750 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $35,450 | $17.04 | 420 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $35,350 | $16.99 | 490 |
| Dothan, AL | $35,000 | $16.83 | 560 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | $34,900 | $16.78 | 320 |
| Gadsden, AL | $34,250 | $16.47 | 450 |
Can medical assistants in Alabama count on steady work?
The job projections point to growth, though they cannot guarantee steady work for any one person. Roughly 13,300 medical assistants work in Alabama, which equals 6.3 per 1,000 jobs. On that measure of how widespread the role is, the state comes in 11th of 51.
According to Projections Central, the state's labor agency projects growth from 13,100 positions in 2024 up to 15,360 by 2034. That works out to a 17.3% increase, ahead of the 12.5% expected nationwide. Each year should bring around 1,910 openings, once you add brand-new roles to spots left by people moving on.
How does medical assistant pay stack up against other health jobs?
In Alabama, medical assistants make slightly more than nursing assistants and slightly under phlebotomists. Nursing careers pay considerably higher, per BLS figures.
| Role | Typical yearly pay in Alabama |
|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $77,080 |
| Licensed practical or vocational nurse | $57,030 |
| Phlebotomist | $37,220 |
| Medical assistant | $36,100 |
| Nursing assistant | $34,140 |
Training programs in Alabama
Our listings cover 20 Alabama schools that report graduate numbers for medical assisting to the government's IPEDS survey. Among them, 12 run an accredited program, meaning an outside organization known as CAAHEP or ABHES has examined the program and given it approval.
Nationwide, career school programs have a median completion time of 9 months. Certain programs offer distance education for coursework, though supervised clinical practice always happens face to face. People often call this practical portion an externship, and it takes place somewhere like a clinic or a physician's office.
What does training cost across the US?
What you'll pay for training depends on the kind of school you choose. The numbers here are national, drawn from IPEDS for the 2023-24 year.
| Kind of school | Typical published cost |
|---|---|
| Career school, complete program (tuition, fees, and textbooks) | $17,257 |
| Public college, full-time, in-district tuition and fees for one year | $4,346 |
Federal student aid is available at most of the schools we list, 1,049 out of 1,094 programs in all.
How to get information from a school
The Alabama programs page shows every school in the state along with its details. If you'd like one to contact you, here's what to do:
- Go to the Alabama programs page and browse the table of programs.
- Choose one accredited program that suits your location and the way you prefer to study.
- Use its "Request information" form to enter your name, email, phone, ZIP code and start time.
Only the school you picked receives your request. You can ask that school about cost and start dates, so choose your program and send the form today.
Pay: Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey, May 2025. Growth: Projections Central, from Alabama’s labor market office. The job itself: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Medical assistant programs in Alabama · Certification rules in Alabama · Pay in every state