Average Rate

• The nationwide average hourly rate for medical assistants was $13.77, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2009. The lowest 10 percent of assistants earned an average of $9.98, with the top 10 percent earning $19.21 an hour. The middle 50 percent of medical assistants earned between $11.57 and $16.23 an hour. The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) reported that 89 percent of all full-time medical assistants received some form of benefits, which increases their total compensation package. Common benefits included health insurance, dental insurance, disability, vision coverage and prescription coverage.
  
  

Experience

• The average hourly rate for a medical assistant varies according to the amount of experience he has. New assistants with less than two years of experience earned an average of $13.23 an hour, according to the 2010 Medical Assisting Salary Survey put together by AAMA. After 16 years' experience, the average rate rose to $17.50. The overall average hourly rate for assistants at all levels of experience was $15.42, about on par with assistants with 10 years of experience.
  
  

Location

• Hourly pay also varies according to where a medical assistant works. According to AAMA, about 59 percent of all medical assistants worked in doctor's offices, where they earned about a dollar less per hour than those who worked in hospitals and emergency centers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that medical assistants who worked in psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals earned the highest wages, with an hourly rate of $22.32 as of May 2009.
  
  

Geography

• Geographical location can affect the wages of a medical assistant. The AAMA reported that medical assistants in the Mid-Atlantic area and West Coast earned more than their peers in the South, Midwest and Mountain areas. In 2010, medical assistants in these two areas earned from $14 to $15 per hour, while those in other areas of the country earned between $11 and $13.50 an hour. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that as of May 2009, the state with the highest median hourly wage for medical assistants was the District of Columbia at $18.17 per hour. This was followed by Alaska with a median hourly wage of $17.50. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Washington rounded out the top five, with median hourly wages between $15.96 and $16.58 an hour.