Medical assistant salary in Pennsylvania
- Typical pay (median): $43,920 annually ($21.12 hourly)
- Top 10% earn: $48,500 or more
- Bottom 10% earn: $36,810 or less
- Yearly openings: roughly 3,610
The median medical assistant salary in Pennsylvania is $43,920 a year, about $21.12 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and pay in the Philadelphia area is a bit higher. A median is the halfway point: half of these workers statewide make more, and half make less. If you're weighing medical assistant training, the pay range and yearly openings can help you decide whether to take the next step.
With about 3,610 openings expected each year, now is a good time to look at schools. Open the Pennsylvania programs page, choose an accredited program, and fill in the Request information form after the tables. Your request goes to that one school.
- Median a year
- $43,920
- Lowest-paid tenth
- $36,810 or less
- Best-paid tenth
- $48,500 or more
- Medical assistant jobs
- 23,050
- Job growth 2024 to 2034
- +10.5%
What do medical assistants in Pennsylvania earn?
The middle 50% of Pennsylvania medical assistants make from $38,950 up to $46,490 annually. Those figures come from BLS wage data.
The bottom tenth make $36,810 or less, while the top tenth make $48,500 or more. The statewide mean is $43,500 per year, slightly below the median.
Pennsylvania pay compared with the national median
Pennsylvania's median for medical assistants is 4% under the national median of $45,690. Among the 50 states plus Washington, DC, it places 32 out of 51 for median pay, per the BLS.
Roughly 23,050 medical assistants are employed in Pennsylvania. That equals 3.8 per 1,000 jobs. For how common the role is, Pennsylvania comes in at 42 out of 51.
Metro area pay: from Philadelphia to Johnstown
Pay changes from place to place. The Philadelphia area has the highest median, $45,890, and also the most medical assistant jobs, about 13,150.
At the other end, the Johnstown area has the state's lowest median, $38,400 a year, so where you work makes a real difference. If you want to find schools near the place you hope to work, look through medical assistant programs in Pennsylvania.
| Metro area | Median a year | Median an hour | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $45,890 | $22.06 | 13,150 |
| Reading, PA | $45,610 | $21.93 | 730 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $45,400 | $21.83 | 1,640 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $43,830 | $21.07 | 240 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $43,820 | $21.07 | 1,370 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $43,620 | $20.97 | 710 |
| Lebanon, PA | $43,490 | $20.91 | 180 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $43,480 | $20.91 | 140 |
| Lancaster, PA | $42,910 | $20.63 | 770 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $42,840 | $20.60 | 4,810 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $42,760 | $20.56 | 840 |
| State College, PA | $42,720 | $20.54 | 180 |
| Williamsport, PA | $40,530 | $19.49 | 180 |
| Erie, PA | $39,640 | $19.06 | 460 |
| Altoona, PA | $39,140 | $18.82 | 270 |
| Johnstown, PA | $38,400 | $18.46 | 140 |
Pay compared with other health care roles
People thinking about this field often compare it with nursing and phlebotomy too. The medians below are based on BLS data.
| Role | Median yearly pay in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Medical assistants | $43,920 |
| Nursing assistants | $44,590 |
| Phlebotomists | $43,910 |
| Licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses | $63,940 |
| Registered nurses | $96,430 |
Pay for medical assistants in Pennsylvania is close to what nursing assistants and phlebotomists make. Nursing jobs pay more. Licensed practical nurses earn a median of $63,940 and registered nurses $96,430.
Job prospects once you finish training
Projections Central figures show Pennsylvania's labor agency expecting 29,480 medical assistant jobs by 2034, up from 26,680 in 2024. That works out to 10.5% growth, next to 12.5% nationwide.
Pennsylvania ranks 45 out of 51 for expected growth. Still, roughly 3,610 openings are projected annually, including both newly created roles and replacements for people who exit.
Medical assistant training in Pennsylvania
We list 37 Pennsylvania schools whose medical assistant graduates appear in the federal college survey. 7 of them have an accredited program, meaning an approved outside organization has reviewed whether it meets set standards. For this field, the 2 accrediting bodies are CAAHEP and ABHES.
Nationwide, career schools that report program length have a median completion time of 9 months, based on federal data. The median listed cost for a full career-school program is $17,257, covering tuition, fees and books. For public colleges, median in-district tuition and fees for one full-time year come to $4,346.
Some programs teach classes by distance education. The supervised clinical practice (an externship or practicum) is still in person.
Ready to compare your options? Choose an accredited program on the Pennsylvania programs page and send the Request information form to ask that school for details.
Pay: Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey, May 2025. Growth: Projections Central, from Pennsylvania’s labor market office. The job itself: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Medical assistant programs in Pennsylvania · Certification rules in Pennsylvania · Pay in every state