Iowa’s reputation for being a hub of healthcare innovation doesn’t disappoint, and that’s translated into healthcare systems that offer outstanding professional opportunities for the state’s medical assistants. For example, University of Iowa Health Care has been consistently ranked as one of the top hospitals in the nation and was ranked as the seventh best healthcare company in the nation by Forbes magazine in 2018.
And there’s plenty of growth in medical assisting taking place here, too. According to Iowa Workforce Development, there were 4,640 medical assistants working in Iowa in 2019; by 2021, this number is projected to grow to 4,770 – an impressive 2.8% growth rate during this two-year timeframe.
Salaries in medical assisting are coming in strong in Iowa, too. As of 2019, these medical support professionals earned an average, hourly wage of $17.12, or $35,610 annually. Better still, boost your resume with the addition of professional certification like the CMA and gain a few years of experience and you’ll enjoy an average hourly wage of at or near $22.70, or 47,210 annually.
Average Hourly Wages for Medical Assistants in Iowa’s Metro Areas
While salaries are pretty consistent across most of Iowa’s metro areas, medical assistants in Iowa City come out ahead at all earning levels.
The following BLS stats reveal the median – top 10% average, hourly wage range for medical assistants working in Iowa’s largest metro areas:
- Ames: $17.64 – $22.71 (approximately 150 medical assistants)
- Cedar Rapids: $17.95 – $23.48 (approximately 410 medical assistants)
- Des Moines: $17.85 – $23.51 (approximately 1,250 medical assistants)
- Dubuque: $17.57 – $22.74 (approximately 180 medical assistants)
- Iowa City: $19.82 – $25.32 (approximately 470 medical assistants)
- Waterloo-Cedar Falls: $15.52 – $21.15 (approximately 250 medical assistants)
Average Hourly Wages for Medical Assistants in Iowa’s Metro Areas
BLS stats reveal the following salary range (median – top 10%) for medical assistants working in Iowa’s largest metro areas:
- Ames: $36,690 – $47,250
- Cedar Rapids: $37,340 – $48,830
- Des Moines: $37,120 – $48,900
- Dubuque: $36,540 – $47,290
- Iowa City: $41,230 – $52,660
- Waterloo-Cedar Falls: $32,270 – $44,000
US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for medical assistants represents state data not school-specific information.
2019 job growth projections from the Iowa Workforce Development 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 May 2020.