A medical assistant in Alabama earns an average of $36,770 per year, with a median of $36,100. The median is the more useful figure for setting a competitive offer, since it reflects the midpoint of the actual workforce rather than being pulled upward by a smaller group of higher-paid roles. Budget your offer around the median and adjust up based on the candidate's experience and the demands of the specific position.
Medical assistant salary in Alabama (2026)
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The average medical assistant salary in Alabama is $36,770 per year. A small pool of high earners at the top of the market pulls that average upward, so the median of $36,100 gives employers a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Alabama employs 13,300 medical assistants, and the $670 gap between the mean and median signals real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior medical assistants in Alabama typically earn around $29,630, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $45,040 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a medical assistant hire in Alabama, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $36,100 |
Average Annual Salary | $36,770 |
vs. National Average | 20.3% below the national mean of $46,120 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 13,300 employed medical assistants across Alabama.
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Medical assistant salary percentiles in Alabama
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $29,630 |
25th Percentile | $32,390 |
75th Percentile | $38,360 |
90th Percentile | $45,040 |
Employers hiring entry-level medical assistants in Alabama can anchor offers near $29,630, while roles requiring more experience or specialization will need to reach toward $45,040 to attract senior candidates. The $15,410 spread across the distribution reflects meaningful differences in experience, setting, and specialization that your offer should account for.
Medical assistant salary by city in Alabama
City | Average Annual Salary |
Birmingham | $38,760 |
Huntsville | $37,940 |
Mobile | $36,800 |
Montgomery | $36,380 |
Tuscaloosa | $35,180 |
Employers hiring across multiple Alabama locations should build location-based pay tiers into their compensation structure, since city averages vary by $3,580 from the top to the bottom of the list. Birmingham leads at $38,760, while Tuscaloosa sits at $35,180, a difference large enough to affect offer competitiveness if you apply a single statewide rate across all sites.
How Alabama compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Alabama | $36,770 | $36,100 |
Florida | $43,290 | $43,680 |
Georgia | $42,590 | $41,600 |
South Carolina | $42,340 | $41,160 |
Tennessee | $41,480 | $39,570 |
Mississippi | $36,240 | $35,360 |
Alabama is a cost-effective market for medical assistant hiring relative to most of its regional peers, which matters when budgeting multi-state compensation structures. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee all post average salaries between $41,480 and $43,290, compared to Alabama's $36,770. Only Mississippi comes in lower at $36,240, so employers operating across the Southeast should expect to adjust offers upward when hiring outside Alabama.
Frequently asked questions about medical assistant salary in Alabama
How much does a MA make in Alabama?
What is the salary range for a medical assistant in Alabama?
The salary range for a medical assistant in Alabama runs from $29,630 at the 10th percentile to $45,040 at the 90th percentile. Entry-level candidates with limited experience will typically fall toward the lower end, while those with specialized skills or significant tenure will approach the upper range. Use the 25th percentile of $32,390 and the 75th percentile of $38,360 to frame a realistic mid-range offer for most candidates.
How does Alabama compare to other states for medical assistant salary?
Alabama's average medical assistant salary of $36,770 sits below most neighboring states, making it a relatively lower-cost market for employers. Florida leads nearby states at $43,290, followed by Georgia at $42,590, South Carolina at $42,340, and Tennessee at $41,480. If you are competing for candidates who have offers from employers in those states, expect to address the gap or differentiate on other compensation factors.
What is the average medical assistant salary in Alabama?
The average medical assistant salary in Alabama is $36,770 per year, which runs 20.3% below the national mean of $46,120. That gap reflects Alabama's position as a lower-cost labor market within the Southeast, and it gives employers in the state a structural cost advantage over peers hiring in higher-wage regions. When setting your budget, use the statewide median of $36,100 as your baseline and layer in adjustments for city, experience level, and role complexity.
Medical Assistant salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 31-9092 (Medical Assistants).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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