How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Medical Assistants in San Diego, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical Medical Assistant in San Diego, California earns $23.76 per hour, or $49,420 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,118 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $43,340, and the top 10% of earners make over $66,340.
That pay is right at the California figure of $49,660 and 8% above the national figure of $45,690. San Diego ranks 13th of 25 metro areas in California for Medical Assistant pay. About 9,370 Medical Assistants work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. San Diego is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Chula Vista and Carlsbad share these figures.
Medical Assistant pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $23.76 an hour, or $49,420 a year.
- That is right at the California figure, ranking 13th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $43,340; the top 10% make over $66,340.
- Typical pay rose +40% from 2015 to 2025, against +47% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Medical Assistant make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $20.84 an hour to more than $31.89 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 San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $43,340$20.84 an hour | $39,290$18.89 an hour | $36,050$17.33 an hour |
| First years | $47,690$22.93 an hour | $46,240$22.23 an hour | $38,470$18.50 an hour |
| Typical Medical Assistant | $49,420$23.76 an hour | $49,660$23.88 an hour | $45,690$21.97 an hour |
| Experienced | $60,480$29.08 an hour | $61,870$29.75 an hour | $49,180$23.65 an hour |
| Top 10% | $66,340$31.89 an hour | $77,300$37.16 an hour | $59,310$28.52 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
Medical Assistant pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for Medical Assistants in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Medical Assistant pay in San Diego was $35,260 a year. By 2025 it had reached $49,420, a change of +40%, compared with +47% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
Vallejo pays Medical Assistants the most in California at $77,410 a year, $27,990 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Merced at $39,800.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | Medical Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vallejo | $77,410 | $37.22 | +57% | 1,360 |
| 2 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $64,820 | $31.16 | +31% | 1,550 |
| 3 | Napa | $62,050 | $29.83 | +26% | 320 |
| 4 | Folsom metro incl. Roseville · Sacramento | $61,970 | $29.79 | +25% | 7,410 |
| 5 | Santa Clara | $61,940 | $29.78 | +25% | 6,400 |
| 6 | Fremont metro incl. San Francisco · Oakland | $59,790 | $28.75 | +21% | 14,320 |
| 7 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $50,680 | $24.36 | +3% | 2,020 |
| 8 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $50,090 | $24.08 | +1% | 960 |
| 9 | Modesto | $49,990 | $24.04 | +1% | 1,870 |
| 10 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $49,520 | $23.81 | 0% | 850 |
| 11 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $49,510 | $23.80 | 0% | 480 |
| 12 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $49,500 | $23.80 | 0% | 1,660 |
| 13 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $49,420 | $23.76 | this city | 9,370 |
| 14 | Yuba City | $49,410 | $23.75 | 0% | 430 |
| 15 | Salinas | $48,890 | $23.50 | -1% | 1,080 |
| 16 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $47,840 | $23.00 | -3% | 1,740 |
| 17 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $47,760 | $22.96 | -3% | 39,770 |
| 18 | Chico | $47,150 | $22.67 | -5% | 770 |
| 19 | Visalia | $47,140 | $22.67 | -5% | 1,580 |
| 20 | Ontario metro incl. Riverside · San Bernardino | $46,700 | $22.45 | -6% | 11,280 |
| 21 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $46,560 | $22.39 | -6% | 2,340 |
| 22 | Fresno | $46,500 | $22.36 | -6% | 3,310 |
| 23 | Redding | $46,210 | $22.22 | -6% | 520 |
| 24 | El Centro | $45,290 | $21.78 | -8% | 390 |
| 25 | Merced | $39,800 | $19.13 | -19% | 700 |
Every metro area in California with Medical Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $49,660
Is San Diego a good place to work as a Medical Assistant?
Medical Assistants in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $49,420 a year, 8% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 6.1 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 San Diego, CA?
- A typical Medical Assistant in San Diego earns $49,420 a year, or $23.76 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $43,340 and the top 10% earn over $66,340.
- How much does a Medical Assistant make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for Medical Assistants in San Diego is $23.76. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $20.84, and the top 10% earn over $31.89 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Medical Assistant in San Diego?
- Entry-level Medical Assistant positions in San Diego typically offer around $20.84 an hour, or $43,340 a year.
- Is Medical Assistant pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is right at the California figure of $49,660 a year, ranking 13th of 25 metro areas in the state. Vallejo pays the most in California at $77,410.