How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Maryland in 2026?

A typical Medical Assistant in Maryland earns about $22.31 per hour ($46,410 per year), per the latest government wage data (May 2025). Based on that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $3,868 a month or $892 a week. Those figures represent typical pay across the state, before factoring in experience or location.

Maryland pay sits 2% above the national figure of $45,690 a year for Medical Assistants, according to the same May 2025 data. That places Maryland 20th among 51 states and the District of Columbia for Medical Assistant pay. The state employs about 16,390 Medical Assistants, compared with 817,870 nationwide. That scale keeps Maryland's pay close to, but slightly ahead of, the national figure.

Entry-level positions in Maryland typically offer around $17.76 an hour, or about $36,930 a year, for Medical Assistants just starting out. Pay climbs from there as new hires gain hands-on clinical experience and grow comfortable with office or hospital routines. Within a few years, many reach the typical pay level of $22.31 an hour, or $46,410 a year. How quickly that happens depends on the setting and the pace of skill-building.

Experienced Medical Assistants in Maryland often earn upwards of $23.61 an hour, or about $49,110 a year, and the top 10% make over $27.52 an hour, or $57,250 a year. That puts the entry-to-top spread at $20,320 a year across the state's workforce. Setting matters: hospitals and specialty practices tend to pay more than smaller primary care offices. City and years of experience also factor into where someone lands within that range.

Maryland Medical Assistant pay has climbed from $33,170 in 2015 to $46,410 in 2025, a gain of $13,240 over the decade. That amounts to a 40% rise in typical pay over ten years. The increase has been steady, with the largest single-year jumps coming between 2022 and 2024, when pay moved from $39,900 to $45,060.

Nationally, Medical Assistant pay rose 49% over the same decade, a faster pace than Maryland's climb. Even so, Maryland pay moved up consistently rather than stalling at any point along the way. For someone starting out now, that decade of steady gains shows pay has moved in one direction, though no specific increase going forward is guaranteed.

Pay runs highest in the Baltimore metro area, where Medical Assistants typically earn $46,790 a year ($22.50 an hour), about 1% above the statewide figure. Columbia and Towson, part of the same Baltimore-area labor market, report identical pay. The Washington, D.C. metro area, which includes Maryland's D.C. suburbs, comes in close behind at $46,640 a year ($22.42 an hour).

Pay runs lowest in the Salisbury area, on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where Medical Assistants typically earn $40,940 a year ($19.68 an hour), a gap of $5,850 from the top-paying Baltimore market. The Washington, D.C.-area market, which includes Alexandria, employs the largest Medical Assistant workforce among Maryland's metro areas, at 13,890. These figures reflect each metro area's full market, and lower pay in areas like Salisbury and Hagerstown usually tracks a lower cost of living.

Maryland pay compares favorably with most of its neighbors. The District of Columbia pays more, at $51,050 a year, about 10% above Maryland's figure, while Virginia ($44,740), Delaware ($44,490), and Pennsylvania ($43,920) all pay somewhat less, roughly 4% to 5% below. West Virginia trails furthest behind, at $37,180, about 20% lower. Medical Assistant licensing or registration requirements can often be transferred or endorsed into a nearby state, which makes moving across these borders straightforward for many.

Medical Assistants in Maryland typically earn $46,410 a year ($22.31 an hour), up 40% from $33,170 a decade ago. That steady rise has kept Maryland pay slightly ahead of the national figure. Readers considering the field can check Maryland's medical assistant licensing or registry requirements for what's needed to get started, and compare local figures for cities like Baltimore, Columbia, or Salisbury before deciding where to look for work.