Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

31-9092 Medical Assistants

Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician. Excludes "Physician Assistants" (29-1071).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
539,220 0.8 % $14.51 $30,170 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.04 $11.86 $13.99 $16.87 $19.62
Annual Wage (2) $20,880 $24,670 $29,100 $35,080 $40,810


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Physicians 325,420 13.88 $14.63 $30,420
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 69,940 1.35 $14.91 $31,010
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 55,920 8.11 $12.97 $26,970
Outpatient Care Centers 32,360 5.29 $15.24 $31,710
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 7,060 0.25 $16.02 $33,330

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Physicians 325,420 13.88 $14.63 $30,420
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 55,920 8.11 $12.97 $26,970
Outpatient Care Centers 32,360 5.29 $15.24 $31,710
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 69,940 1.35 $14.91 $31,010
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 3,100 1.21 $14.16 $29,450

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 730 0.12 $17.81 $37,040
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (8) (8) $17.80 $37,010
Offices of Dentists 3,850 0.46 $17.18 $35,730
Insurance Carriers 280 0.02 $17.14 $35,660
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 2,070 0.94 $16.85 $35,050


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 81,860 5.83 1.39 $15.53 $32,300
Texas 48,970 4.75 1.13 $13.38 $27,830
Florida 37,280 5.21 1.24 $13.80 $28,710
Pennsylvania 24,350 4.39 1.04 $14.45 $30,060
Ohio 22,980 4.62 1.10 $13.27 $27,600




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Mexico 5,030 6.46 1.54 $13.34 $27,740
California 81,860 5.83 1.39 $15.53 $32,300
Michigan 22,030 5.75 1.37 $13.44 $27,950
Hawaii 3,260 5.65 1.34 $16.60 $34,530
Florida 37,280 5.21 1.24 $13.80 $28,710




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,200 3.82 0.91 $18.84 $39,200
District of Columbia 1,770 2.75 0.65 $17.79 $37,010
Massachusetts 14,240 4.51 1.07 $17.36 $36,100
Hawaii 3,260 5.65 1.34 $16.60 $34,530
Washington 13,050 4.80 1.14 $16.57 $34,470





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 23,910 6.26 1.49 $14.96 $31,120
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 12,980 2.57 0.61 $16.42 $34,160
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 11,800 4.63 1.10 $14.44 $30,030
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 11,520 3.22 0.77 $15.11 $31,430
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 9,920 4.45 1.06 $14.39 $29,930
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 8,690 4.25 1.01 $14.45 $30,060
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 8,300 4.57 1.09 $16.04 $33,350
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 8,120 4.85 1.15 $18.00 $37,430
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 7,630 4.49 1.07 $15.48 $32,210
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 7,510 5.41 1.29 $15.76 $32,780




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ocala, FL 980 10.97 2.61 $13.00 $27,040
Jackson, TN 560 9.96 2.37 $11.30 $23,500
Yuba City, CA 360 9.88 2.35 $14.29 $29,730
Albany, GA 560 9.46 2.25 $11.76 $24,450
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 2,020 8.99 2.14 $10.17 $21,160
Tucson, AZ 3,070 8.89 2.12 $14.54 $30,250
Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC 2,470 8.67 2.06 $14.58 $30,330
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 1,100 8.61 2.05 $13.81 $28,730
Rome, GA 290 8.33 1.98 $13.03 $27,100
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 1,560 8.20 1.95 $13.48 $28,030




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fairbanks, AK 120 3.30 0.78 $21.36 $44,420
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 4,020 4.18 1.00 $19.87 $41,330
Barnstable Town, MA 380 4.08 0.97 $18.79 $39,070
Napa, CA (8) (8) (8) $18.64 $38,780
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 830 7.09 1.69 $18.32 $38,110
Rochester, MN 280 2.87 0.68 $18.27 $38,010
Anchorage, AK 760 4.50 1.07 $18.11 $37,670
Peabody, MA NECTA Division 410 4.10 0.97 $18.05 $37,550
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 4,460 5.09 1.21 $18.02 $37,490
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 8,120 4.85 1.15 $18.00 $37,430

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,270 4.62 1.10 $12.54 $26,090
West Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 1,210 7.11 1.69 $15.04 $31,280
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 1,090 3.94 0.94 $11.88 $24,710
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 990 4.22 1.00 $12.75 $26,530
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 920 2.41 0.57 $11.21 $23,320

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwestern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 250 9.33 2.22 $12.78 $26,580
Hammond nonmetropolitan area 440 8.67 2.06 $12.71 $26,440
West Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 1,210 7.11 1.69 $15.04 $31,280
Northeast Florida nonmetropolitan area 850 6.09 1.45 $11.88 $24,710
Central Washington nonmetropolitan area 370 5.94 1.41 $14.04 $29,200

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 250 3.54 0.84 $20.40 $42,430
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 160 2.22 0.53 $19.74 $41,050
Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 2.74 0.65 $18.64 $38,770
Eastern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 150 5.62 1.34 $17.10 $35,570
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 130 3.76 0.89 $16.99 $35,340


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012