How much does an MA make in Colorado?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $47,270 for MAs in Colorado as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $43,120 and the 75th-percentile is $50,720.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) MA salary in Colorado?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 101.9 for Colorado), the real-wage equivalent is $46,409 — what the $47,270 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $42,334 to $49,796.

What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in Colorado?

The 90th percentile lands at $57,990. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $50,720.

Why is the BEA RPP for Colorado different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Colorado's overall index of 101.9 reflects rents 130.5, services 86.8, and goods 99.2.

How wide is the wage spread in Colorado?

P10 to P90 spans $38,010 to $57,990. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is Colorado a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for MAs?

No — Colorado's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Specialty MA pay (cardiology / dermatology / ortho) vs primary care in Colorado?

BLS aggregates all medical assistants under one SOC. In Colorado, specialty practice MAs — particularly in dermatology, cardiology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology — typically earn 10-20% above primary-care MA pay, reflecting tighter procedural support requirements and longer training ramps. Surgical specialty MAs assisting in office-based procedures (skin biopsies, in-office injections, vascular ultrasound assist) sit at the top of the BLS band in Colorado. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-health clinics in Colorado typically pay below BLS median but offer PSLF eligibility and stronger benefits.

Colorado Medical Assistant Salary: BLS $47K Median, Real $46K (2026)

TL;DR

Colorado pays MAs a BLS median of $47,270 — the more useful number is $46,409, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
Nominal: #11/51 · Real: #13/51 — ranking shifts by 2 positions after RPP.
Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
Quartile range $43,120 (bottom 25%) to $50,720 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $38,010 to $57,990.

Wage breakdown — Colorado

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$38,010	$37,317
P25 (lower quartile)	$43,120	$42,334
P50 (median)	$47,270	$46,409
P75 (upper quartile)	$50,720	$49,796
P90 (top tier)	$57,990	$56,933
Mean	$47,650	$46,782
Employment	12,910 MAs in Colorado

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Colorado index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	101.9
Goods	99.2
Services	86.8
Rents	130.5

Colorado's overall RPP (101.9) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

After-tax take-home — Colorado (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (MA)	$47,270	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$3,534	7.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,387	4.4% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$3,616	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$38,733	81.9% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$38,027	÷ (101.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Colorado state-tax burden means for MA take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 2.9% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $38,733 (81.9% of gross). After the 101.9 RPP, real take-home is $38,027.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $44,200 for MAs with mean pay of $44,720 and total employment of 793,460. Colorado sits at #11 on nominal pay and #13 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Colorado falls 2 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MA make in Colorado?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $47,270 for MAs in Colorado as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $43,120 and the 75th-percentile is $50,720.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) MA salary in Colorado?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 101.9 for Colorado), the real-wage equivalent is $46,409 — what the $47,270 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $42,334 to $49,796.
What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in Colorado?: The 90th percentile lands at $57,990. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $50,720.
Why is the BEA RPP for Colorado different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Colorado's overall index of 101.9 reflects rents 130.5, services 86.8, and goods 99.2.
How wide is the wage spread in Colorado?: P10 to P90 spans $38,010 to $57,990. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Colorado a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for MAs?: No — Colorado's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Specialty MA pay (cardiology / dermatology / ortho) vs primary care in Colorado?: BLS aggregates all medical assistants under one SOC. In Colorado, specialty practice MAs — particularly in dermatology, cardiology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology — typically earn 10-20% above primary-care MA pay, reflecting tighter procedural support requirements and longer training ramps. Surgical specialty MAs assisting in office-based procedures (skin biopsies, in-office injections, vascular ultrasound assist) sit at the top of the BLS band in Colorado. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-health clinics in Colorado typically pay below BLS median but offer PSLF eligibility and stronger benefits.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 31-9092, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-07.

Cross-comparison: see how Colorado MA pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.