How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Chico, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Medical Assistants in Chico, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · Chico metro area
A typical Medical Assistant in Chico, California earns $22.67 per hour, or $47,150 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,929 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,050, and the top 10% of earners make over $58,450.
That pay is 5% below the California figure of $49,660 and 3% above the national figure of $45,690. Chico ranks 18th of 25 metro areas in California for Medical Assistant pay. About 770 Medical Assistants work in the Chico area.
Medical Assistant pay in Chico at a glance
- Typical pay is $22.67 an hour, or $47,150 a year.
- That is 5% below the California figure, ranking 18th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,050; the top 10% make over $58,450.
- Typical pay rose +56% from 2015 to 2025, against +47% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Medical Assistant make in Chico?
Pay in Chico runs from entry-level positions at around $18.77 an hour to more than $28.10 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Medical Assistant pay by career stage in Chico
| Career stage | Chico | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $39,050$18.77 an hour | $39,290$18.89 an hour | $36,050$17.33 an hour |
| First years | $45,880$22.06 an hour | $46,240$22.23 an hour | $38,470$18.50 an hour |
| Typical Medical Assistant | $47,150$22.67 an hour | $49,660$23.88 an hour | $45,690$21.97 an hour |
| Experienced | $57,440$27.62 an hour | $61,870$29.75 an hour | $49,180$23.65 an hour |
| Top 10% | $58,450$28.10 an hour | $77,300$37.16 an hour | $59,310$28.52 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Chico area as BLS defines it
Medical Assistant pay growth in Chico
Typical (median) annual wage for Medical Assistants in the Chico area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Medical Assistant pay in Chico was $30,310 a year. By 2025 it had reached $47,150, a change of +56%, compared with +47% for California over the same years.
How Chico compares with other California cities
Vallejo pays Medical Assistants the most in California at $77,410 a year, $30,260 more than Chico. The lowest-paying area in the state is Merced at $39,800.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Chico | Medical Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | $77,410 | $37.22 | +64% | 1,360 |
| 2 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $64,820 | $31.16 | +37% | 1,550 |
| 3 | Napa | $62,050 | $29.83 | +32% | 320 |
| 4 | Folsom metro incl. Roseville · Sacramento | $61,970 | $29.79 | +31% | 7,410 |
| 5 | Santa Clara | $61,940 | $29.78 | +31% | 6,400 |
| 6 | Fremont metro incl. San Francisco · Oakland | $59,790 | $28.75 | +27% | 14,320 |
| 7 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $50,680 | $24.36 | +7% | 2,020 |
| 8 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $50,090 | $24.08 | +6% | 960 |
| 9 | Modesto | $49,990 | $24.04 | +6% | 1,870 |
| 10 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $49,520 | $23.81 | +5% | 850 |
| 11 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $49,510 | $23.80 | +5% | 480 |
| 12 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $49,500 | $23.80 | +5% | 1,660 |
| 13 | Chula Vista | $49,420 | $23.76 | +5% | 9,370 |
| 14 | Yuba City | $49,410 | $23.75 | +5% | 430 |
| 15 | Salinas | $48,890 | $23.50 | +4% | 1,080 |
| 16 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $47,840 | $23.00 | +1% | 1,740 |
| 17 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $47,760 | $22.96 | +1% | 39,770 |
| 18 | Chico | $47,150 | $22.67 | this city | 770 |
| 19 | Visalia | $47,140 | $22.67 | 0% | 1,580 |
| 20 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $46,700 | $22.45 | -1% | 11,280 |
| 21 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $46,560 | $22.39 | -1% | 2,340 |
| 22 | Fresno | $46,500 | $22.36 | -1% | 3,310 |
| 23 | Redding | $46,210 | $22.22 | -2% | 520 |
| 24 | El Centro | $45,290 | $21.78 | -4% | 390 |
| 25 | Merced | $39,800 | $19.13 | -16% | 700 |
Every metro area in California with Medical Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $49,660
Is Chico a good place to work as a Medical Assistant?
Medical Assistant pay in Chico sits close to the national figure: $47,150 a year, 3% above the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Chico area, about 9.8 are Medical Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 5.3. That makes the local economy more reliant on Medical Assistants than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Medical Assistant make in Chico, CA?
- A typical Medical Assistant in Chico earns $47,150 a year, or $22.67 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $39,050 and the top 10% earn over $58,450.
- How much does a Medical Assistant make an hour in Chico?
- Typical hourly pay for Medical Assistants in Chico is $22.67. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.77, and the top 10% earn over $28.10 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Medical Assistant in Chico?
- Entry-level Medical Assistant positions in Chico typically offer around $18.77 an hour, or $39,050 a year.
- Is Medical Assistant pay in Chico higher than in the rest of California?
- Chico pay is 5% below the California figure of $49,660 a year, ranking 18th of 25 metro areas in the state. Vallejo pays the most in California at $77,410.