Medical assistant salary in District of Columbia

Pay in the District of Columbia ranges a lot: the lowest-paid medical assistants earn around $39,620 or less, while the best paid make $76,900 or more (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

That middle group covers medical assistants paid above the bottom quarter but below the top quarter. In the District of Columbia, this band starts at $47,740 and tops out at $59,850 annually. The average annual wage is $54,890, slightly higher than the median of $51,050.

The median medical assistant wage in the District of Columbia is 12% higher than the national median of $45,690 a year. Nationally, the median hourly wage stands at $21.97, while the District of Columbia's figure is $24.54, using May 2025 data.

A metro area means a city plus the surrounding towns and suburbs where workers live and travel in from. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria region covers parts of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia alongside the District of Columbia.

Across the wider Washington area, medical assistants earn a median of $46,640 a year, a little less than the $51,050 median inside the District of Columbia itself. The job count is much bigger too: roughly 13,890 medical assistants work in the metro area, compared with about 2,260 within the District of Columbia proper, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When you're considering different ways into healthcare, comparing earnings side by side makes the choice easier. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports these median yearly figures for the District of Columbia.

In the District of Columbia, medical assistants make slightly more than nursing assistants and about the same as phlebotomists. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses earn more.

Yes. The District of Columbia's labor agency projects this occupation will expand from 2,810 positions in 2024 to 3,300 by 2034. That works out to 17.8% growth, ahead of the 12.5% forecast for the nation as a whole, according to Projections Central.

For projected growth in this role, the District of Columbia comes in at rank 16 of 51. Roughly 410 openings should appear annually, including brand new positions plus vacancies left by departing workers. The occupation is rarer in the District of Columbia than in most areas, at 3.2 medical assistants per 1,000 jobs, which is rank 47 of 51.

Career school programs usually run about 9 months, although some wrap up in just 2 months and others stretch past 2 years. Among career schools that quote a full-program cost, the median published price comes to $17,257, covering the cost of classes, fees and books. At public colleges, one year of studying full time carries a median in-district cost of $4,346, drawn from federal college data.

Programs with accreditation have gone through review by CAAHEP or ABHES, the two national bodies that evaluate medical assistant training. The District of Columbia has one school that reports medical assistant graduates, and it is not accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES.

Studying online offers a different path. Nationwide, 14 accredited programs are available through distance education. The coursework happens online, while the hands-on clinical hours, often known as an externship, happen face to face. At career schools that report program length, the median is 9 months.