Can you make six figures as a medical assistant?

Asked by: Jaunita Smith  |  Last update: December 17, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (34 votes)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median national annual salary for medical assistants is $42,000. The top 10% of medical assistants earn more than $56,480 annually.

Can you make 6 figures as a medical assistant?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2023 median annual salary for medical assistants was approximately $42,0001. At an entry-level position, you can earn around $33,500 per year, while experienced professionals can earn more than $56,0002.

What is the highest an MA can get paid?

High Paying Medical Assistant Jobs
  • Medical Assistant Internal Medicine. Salary range: $36,000-$108,000 per year. ...
  • Clinical Medical Assistant. Salary range: $36,000-$46,000 per year. ...
  • Bilingual Medical Assistant. Salary range: $35,000-$46,000 per year. ...
  • Certified Medical Assistant. ...
  • Infertility Medical Assistant.

Can a medical assistant make 100k?

Can you make 100k a year as a medical assistant? In most cases, it is not possible to earn more than $100,000 a year. The median annual salary for this role is $38,270 per year.

What is the highest level of medical assistant?

The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification, offered by the American Medical Technologists (AMT), is a prestigious credential that validates the skills and knowledge of medical assistants in providing patient care, performing administrative tasks, and executing clinical procedures.

Medical Assistant Salary - Are Medical Assistants Making More? | Average CMA Salary Hourly in 2025

26 related questions found

Who gets paid more, CMA or RMA?

A registered medical assistant across town may do essentially the same tasks on the day. The median pay for medical assistants was $37,190 and $17.88 an hour in 2022. It is thought that the difference between RMA and CMA salaries is negligible.

How to make 6 figures as a RN?

Six-Figure Nursing Jobs: 6 High-Paying Nursing Careers To Consider
  1. #1: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
  2. #2: Certified Nurse Midwife.
  3. #3: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
  4. #4: Nurse Practitioner.
  5. #5: Clinical Nurse Specialist.
  6. #6: Travel Nurse.
  7. #1: Relocate to a Higher Paying City.
  8. #2: Work Overtime Hours.

Is a medical assistant a dead-end job?

There's also the misconception that medical assisting is a dead-end job with no room for growth. In reality, medical assisting can serve as a stepping stone to many other careers in healthcare.

How to get paid more as an MA?

How You Can Increase Your Medical Assistant Salary
  1. Earn your certification. A certified medical assistant can make up to 10% more than someone who is uncertified.
  2. Work odd days/hours. ...
  3. Obtain extra certifications. ...
  4. Learn a second language. ...
  5. Become an instructor or manager.

Who gets paid more MA or RN?

No, having been a Medical Assistant after going through a technical college, the pay was just a little over minimum wage. In CA experienced RNs can make up to $61 and more depending on what city you work in.

What's the most a CMA can make an hour?

Certified Medical Assistant Salary Based on Where You Work

Medical assistants working in research generally have the highest salaries. They can start as high as $25 per hour. Outpatient clinics are another high-paying medical assistant option with an average salary of $24 per hour.

What type of assistant makes the most money?

High Paying Administrative Assistant Jobs
  • Equity Research Analyst. Salary range: $65,500-$132,500 per year. ...
  • Equity Analyst. Salary range: $62,000-$115,000 per year. ...
  • Administrative Analyst. ...
  • Business Administrator. ...
  • Assistant Administrator. ...
  • Corporate Administrator. ...
  • Senior Administrative Assistant. ...
  • Administrative Coordinator.

What medical field pays 6 figures?

Some of the highest-paying healthcare jobs are oncologists and emergency medicine physicians. You don't have to become a doctor to land a high-paying healthcare job. The highest-paying healthcare jobs that don't require doctoral degrees are nurse anesthetists and physician assistants.

Do ma make more than cna?

Medical assistants earn an average of $14.77 per hour . Typical salaries range from $7.25 to $27.70 per hour, depending on location, experience and qualifications. Nursing assistants earn an average of $13.65 per hour .

Can you make 6 figures as a CNA?

Even certified nursing assistants (CNAs) can sometimes work in travel roles. However, a six-figure income is typically out of reach for these HCPs without leveling up into higher-tier nursing roles.

Can you make a good living as a medical assistant?

Across the United States, medical assistant salaries average $37,190 per year or $17.88 per hour. California medical assistants earn much more than that, with an average pay of $44,780 per year or $21.53 per hour.

Will medical assistants be phased out?

While some careers may struggle with stability, rest assured, medical assisting isn't one of them.

What not to do as a medical assistant?

Medical assistants are not allowed to perform such invasive procedures as:
  • placing the needle or starting and disconnecting the infusion tube of an IV.
  • administering medications or injections into the IV line.
  • charting the pupillary responses.
  • inserting a urine catheter.
  • independently performing telephone triage.

Can a nurse make $500,000 a year?

It's not uncommon when a person who wants to get into nursing school tells others they can make the “big bucks” doing what they do. That's why Olivia Reeves, 35, gives her steps to success on how she made between $250,000 to $500,000 a year — and paid off her student loans — by the time she was 27.

How to make 120k as a nurse?

How to Make Six Figures as a Nurse?
  1. Become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) ...
  2. Become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) ...
  3. Become a Nurse Midwife. ...
  4. Advance in Nurse Leadership. ...
  5. Begin travel nursing assignment. ...
  6. Change Nursing specialties. ...
  7. Relocate to a higher paying state. ...
  8. Make sacrifices.

Who is the highest paid RN?

The salary of nurse anesthetists is the highest of all nursing professions. According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are anesthesia professionals who safely administer over 50 million anesthetics to patients in the United States annually.

Why do medical assistants not get paid more?

Nurses and medical assistants are separate professions that work together. They are two of the dozens of healthcare professionals that work on your healthcare delivery and maintenance team. The short answer is no, medical assistants don't make more than nurses because they don't have the same roles on a care team.

What job is above a medical assistant?

Medical assistants can advance to RN by earning an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, then passing the NCLEX-RN. Or, they can take a shorter path by going from MA to LPN and start working as a practical nurse before pursuing the RN path.