And the award goes to…Georgia’s medical assistants, whose numbers are projected to rise rapidly in the coming years, beating out all 49 other states in terms of job growth projections.
According to the Georgia Labor Market Explorer, there were 27,230 medical assistants in the state in 2019; by 2021, this number is projected to swell to $29,380 – an increase of nearly 8% and the largest projected increase among medical assistants in the nation.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an average, hourly wage of $15.86, or $32,990 a year, for Georgia’s medical assistants as of May 2019. But among the highest earners (the top 10%), salaries were even more impressive, with these top medical assistants earning an hourly wage of $20.77, or $43,200. In other words, medical assistants who have risen through the ranks by earning experience and achieving the CMA designation can expect to earn about $10,000 more annually than those at the median level.
Average Hourly Wages for Medical Assistants in Georgia’s Metro Areas
Hourly wage ranges for medical assistants are fairly consistent throughout Georgia’s metro areas, with most earning a median hourly wage of around $14 and those in the 90th percentile earning about $19.
The following BLS stats show the hourly wage range (median – top 10%) for medical assistants in Georgia’s largest metro areas:
- Albany: $14.40 – $19.19 (approximately 500 medical assistants)
- Athens-Clark County: $16.38 – $19.91 (approximately 590 medical assistants)
- Atlanta (greater metro area includes Sandy Springs and Roswell): $16.83 – $22.00 (approximately 16,410 medical assistants)
- Augusta: $14.92 – $19.89 (approximately 1,250 medical assistants)
- Brunswick: $13.79 – $18.67 (approximately 240 medical assistants)
- Columbus (GA/AL): $13.76 – $18.58 (approximately 1,020 medical assistants)
- Macon: $14.14 – $19.05 (approximately 1,050 medical assistants)
- Savannah: $14.77 – $18.76 (approximately 990 medical assistants)
Average Salaries for Medical Assistants in Georgia’s Metro Areas
BLS stats indicate what medical assistants are earning in the median – top 10% salary range in Georgia’s largest metro areas:
- Albany: $29,940 – $39,920
- Athens-Clark County: $34,070 – $41,410
- Atlanta (greater metro area includes Sandy Springs and Roswell): $35,000 – $45,750
- Augusta: $31,030 – $41,360
- Brunswick: $28,620 – $38,840
- Columbus (GA/AL): $28,620 – $38,650
- Macon: $29,400 – $39,630
- Savannah: $30,720 – $39,010
US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for medical assistants represents state data not school-specific information.
2019 job growth projections from the Georgia Labor Market Explorer are aggregated through the U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored resource, Projections Central.
Conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and employment data accessed June 2020.