Medical assistant salary in Washington
- Typical pay in this state: $59,290 per year, or $28.50 hourly
- Versus the US: 30% higher than the national median of $45,690
- State rank: 1st out of 51 (50 states plus DC)
- Projected job growth, 2024 to 2034: 20.0%
Washington has the highest median medical assistant salary among the 50 states and DC. A typical medical assistant here earns $59,290 a year, about $28.50 an hour, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Half earn more than that and half earn less.
That is 30% higher than the US median of $45,690.
Washington pays medical assistants more than any other state, and about 3,010 openings come up every year. Pick an accredited program on our Washington program page and send that school the short Request information form, which gives the school your name, email, phone, ZIP code and start time.
- Median a year
- $59,290
- Lowest-paid tenth
- $46,540 or less
- Best-paid tenth
- $74,200 or more
- Medical assistant jobs
- 19,500
- Job growth 2024 to 2034
- +20%
Medical assistant pay range in Washington
Pay is spread out around the median. In Washington, the lowest-paid 10% of medical assistants make $46,540 a year or less, while the top 10% bring in at least $74,200 (BLS).
Half of all medical assistants in the state earn somewhere from $49,310 up to $63,590 annually. The average is $58,590 a year, very close to the median of $59,290.
| Pay group in Washington | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% of earners | $46,540 or less |
| Lower bound of the middle 50% | $49,310 |
| Median | $59,290 |
| Upper bound of the middle 50% | $63,590 |
| Top 10% of earners | $74,200 or more |
Medical assistant pay by metro area in Washington
Location within the state matters. Mount Vernon-Anacortes posts the top metro median, $61,870 a year. Lewiston, which reaches into Idaho, comes in at the bottom, $44,570 (BLS).
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has the largest job count by far, about 10,210 medical assistants. Statewide, roughly 19,500 people do this work, equal to 5.5 for every 1,000 jobs.
| Metro area | Median a year | Median an hour | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $61,870 | $29.74 | 210 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61,500 | $29.57 | 10,210 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $61,480 | $29.56 | 250 |
| Bellingham, WA | $57,410 | $27.60 | 510 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $56,240 | $27.04 | 6,390 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $56,020 | $26.93 | 140 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $55,700 | $26.78 | 580 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $55,680 | $26.77 | 610 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $51,720 | $24.87 | 2,090 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $50,820 | $24.43 | 850 |
| Yakima, WA | $49,310 | $23.71 | 710 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $49,230 | $23.67 | 370 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $44,570 | $21.43 | 190 |
How does medical assistant pay compare with other health jobs?
In Washington, median pay for medical assistants is higher than for nursing assistants and phlebotomists, but lower than for licensed practical nurses and registered nurses.
| Role in Washington | Typical annual pay |
|---|---|
| Phlebotomists | $48,880 |
| Nursing assistants | $49,180 |
| Medical assistants | $59,290 |
| Licensed practical/vocational nurses | $83,150 |
| Registered nurses | $124,200 |
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the source for all these numbers.
Will there be jobs in Washington?
The state labor agency projects growth from 17,630 jobs in 2024 to 21,150 in 2034. That is a 20.0% increase, ahead of 12.5% for the US overall (Projections Central). Among the 50 states and DC, Washington sits 13th for expected growth.
Each year should bring about 3,010 openings. That total covers newly created roles plus spots that open when workers move on.
Getting trained as a medical assistant in Washington
Washington has 29 schools whose medical assistant graduate counts are reported to the federal government (College Navigator), and 21 of them have an accredited program.
Among the programs this site lists across the country, career school programs that report their length typically take about 9 months, and the median published whole-program price is $17,257 for tuition, fees and books. At public colleges, the median tuition and fees for a year of full-time study is $4,346 for students who live in the college's district (IPEDS).
Some programs let you take classes online, and you do your supervised clinical hours in person. When you find an accredited program that interests you, choose it on our Washington program page and send that school a Request information form.
Pay: Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey, May 2025. Growth: Projections Central, from Washington’s labor market office. The job itself: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
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