Medical assistant salary in Idaho

When you count the 50 states and Washington, DC, Idaho lands at number 30 out of 51 on what medical assistants earn at the median. That lands it just under the national middle.

The mean, which is the simple average, comes to $44,240 a year. That is close to the $44,700 median.

Pay for medical assistants in Idaho tends to fall in a fairly tight span. The middle half of earners make from $37,780 up to $48,160 a year, going by federal wage data.

Your location in the state matters. The Boise City metro pays medical assistants the most, at a median of $46,310 a year, and it has the most jobs too, about 2,360.

At the other end, Pocatello's median of $37,610 a year is the lowest of Idaho's metro areas.

Yes, and more than almost anywhere else. Idaho's labor agency expects medical assistant jobs to grow 30.7% over the decade, going from 5,060 jobs in 2024 up to 6,610 by 2034, per Projections Central. The nationwide projection is 12.5%.

For projected growth in this field, Idaho ranks 2 of 51. Each year, the state should see about 850 openings when you add together new positions and departures from the field.

Plenty of medical assistants already work in Idaho. Around 5,250 hold jobs there now, equal to 6.1 per 1,000 jobs, which gives Idaho a rank of 16 among the 51 states and DC.

This role pays more than some other health jobs, though nursing jobs pay more.

At the median, medical assistants in Idaho make more than nursing assistants and a little more than phlebotomists.

Looking across the US, career schools that quote a full program price show a median of $17,257 covering tuition, fees and books, drawn from 2023-24 federal college data. Public colleges show a median of $4,346 for one year of full-time, in-district study.

Career school programs are usually brief. The median length is 9 months, with 257 of the 378 schools reporting a length falling between 7 and 9 months. A number of programs finish in 6 months or less, while a small number stretch past a year.

You can also study online. Coursework happens through distance education, though the hands-on clinical training, usually known as an externship, is done in person.

Our site lists 8 Idaho schools that reported students finishing medical assistant programs in the federal college survey. Among them, 6 run an accredited program, meaning CAAHEP or ABHES, the two bodies that review medical assistant training, has approved it.

With about 850 openings a year and most programs taking around 9 months, now is a good time to start. Compare Idaho's accredited programs side by side on our Idaho programs page, then use the short Request information form there to get details from the one you choose.