How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in New Jersey in 2026?

A typical Medical Assistant in New Jersey earns about $22.70 per hour ($47,210 per year), according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Broken down further, that comes to roughly $3,934 a month and $908 a week, both calculated from the annual figure. Pay varies by employer and setting, but these figures represent the typical wage across the state.

New Jersey's typical pay runs 3% above the national figure of $45,690 for Medical Assistants. That places the state 17th out of 51 states and the District of Columbia. Roughly 20,330 Medical Assistants work in New Jersey, compared with 817,870 nationwide, giving a sense of scale for the state's workforce.

Entry-level positions in New Jersey typically offer around $17.79 an hour, or about $37,010 a year, for Medical Assistants just starting out. Pay tends to rise as clinical experience builds, moving toward the state's typical figure of $47,210 within the first few years on the job. New graduates and those without prior clinical experience should expect to start near this range.

Experienced Medical Assistants in New Jersey often earn more than the typical figure, with the top 10% of earners making over $27.92 an hour, or $58,070 a year. That leaves a spread of $21,060 between entry-level and top-earning pay. Setting, years of experience, and the city where someone works all play a part in where an individual lands within that range.

New Jersey's typical pay for Medical Assistants climbed from $33,690 in 2015 to $47,210 in 2025, a gain of $13,520. That amounts to a 40% rise over the decade, with steady increases most years and a sharper jump between 2022 and 2023. The climb reflects a full ten years of wage data tracked by the same government survey.

Nationally, Medical Assistant pay rose 49% over the same ten years, a faster pace than New Jersey's climb. That doesn't change what the state pays today, but it means New Jersey's wage growth has lagged the country as a whole. For someone starting out now, the trend shows pay has moved up steadily, though nothing about future increases is guaranteed.

Jersey City pays Medical Assistants the most in New Jersey, at $48,370 a year ($23.26 an hour), about 2% above the state figure of $47,210. Newark and Camden also post strong figures, at $48,370 and $45,890 a year respectively, showing that the state's higher-paying markets cluster around its northern and southern urban centers. These figures reflect each city's full metro area, not just city limits.

Vineland sits at the bottom of the list, with Medical Assistants there earning $45,360 a year, which puts the full city-to-city spread at $3,010. Jersey City also has the largest Medical Assistant workforce in the state, at 44,060 workers, meaning it leads on both pay and job numbers. Higher pay in cities like Jersey City and Newark generally tracks a higher cost of living, so a bigger paycheck there doesn't automatically mean more spending power.

New Jersey's neighbors show a mixed picture. New York pays close by, at $48,000 a year, about 2% higher than New Jersey. Pennsylvania and Delaware both pay less, at $43,920 and $44,490 a year, roughly 7% and 6% below New Jersey's figure. Medical Assistant licensing and certification requirements can often transfer or be recognized between neighboring states, so a move across state lines doesn't necessarily mean starting over.

Medical Assistants in New Jersey typically earn $47,210 a year, a figure that has climbed 40% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience level, but the overall trend has been upward. Readers considering this path in New Jersey can check the state's licensing or registry requirements for specifics on certification, and review city-level pages for local pay figures before deciding where to work.