How much does an MA make in Delaware?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $41,830 for MAs in Delaware as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $37,550 and the 75th-percentile is $46,240.

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

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 98.8 for Delaware), the real-wage equivalent is $42,356 — what the $41,830 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $38,022 to $46,821.

How are Delaware MA salaries calculated on this page?

Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.

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

The 90th percentile lands at $51,170. 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 $46,240.

Where does Delaware rank for MA pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Delaware ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

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

BLS aggregates all medical assistants under one SOC. In Delaware, 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 Delaware. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-health clinics in Delaware typically pay below BLS median but offer PSLF eligibility and stronger benefits.

Is the medical assistant role still a viable RN-bridge path in Delaware?

MA → RN remains a common pathway in Delaware. The financial logic: an MA earning at the Delaware BLS median while completing an associate-degree RN program (typically 2 years post-prerequisites, $5K-$25K tuition at community college) sees an average BLS-reported wage roughly 2-2.5× higher post-licensure. BSN-direct programs ($40K-$120K) extend payback timeline but open hospital and management tracks. Many Delaware health systems offer tuition support or ladder programs that effectively eliminate program cost — making the MA-to-RN economic transition substantially more favorable than the headline tuition implies.

How Much Do Medical Assistants Make in Delaware? $42K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

Medical Assistants in Delaware earn a BLS median of $41,830, with real take-home of $42,356 after BEA RPP adjustment.
P25-P75 spread runs $37,550 to $46,240; P10 floor $34,270, P90 ceiling $51,170.
Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
Nominal: #31/51 · Real: #40/51 — ranking shifts by 9 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — Delaware

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$34,270	$34,701
P25 (lower quartile)	$37,550	$38,022
P50 (median)	$41,830	$42,356
P75 (upper quartile)	$46,240	$46,821
P90 (top tier)	$51,170	$51,813
Mean	$42,500	$43,034
Employment	2,980 MAs in Delaware

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Delaware index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	98.8
Goods	97.3
Services	104.4
Rents	98.9

Delaware's overall RPP (98.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (MA)	$41,830	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$2,882	6.9% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,755	2.2–6.6% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$3,200	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$33,994	81.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$34,421	÷ (98.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.2% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $33,994 (81.3% of gross). After the 98.8 RPP, real take-home is $34,421.

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. Delaware sits at #31 on nominal pay and #40 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Delaware falls 9 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MA make in Delaware?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $41,830 for MAs in Delaware as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $37,550 and the 75th-percentile is $46,240.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) MA salary in Delaware?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 98.8 for Delaware), the real-wage equivalent is $42,356 — what the $41,830 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $38,022 to $46,821.
How are Delaware MA salaries calculated on this page?: Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in Delaware?: The 90th percentile lands at $51,170. 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 $46,240.
Where does Delaware rank for MA pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Delaware ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Specialty MA pay (cardiology / dermatology / ortho) vs primary care in Delaware?: BLS aggregates all medical assistants under one SOC. In Delaware, 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 Delaware. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-health clinics in Delaware typically pay below BLS median but offer PSLF eligibility and stronger benefits.
Is the medical assistant role still a viable RN-bridge path in Delaware?: MA → RN remains a common pathway in Delaware. The financial logic: an MA earning at the Delaware BLS median while completing an associate-degree RN program (typically 2 years post-prerequisites, $5K-$25K tuition at community college) sees an average BLS-reported wage roughly 2-2.5× higher post-licensure. BSN-direct programs ($40K-$120K) extend payback timeline but open hospital and management tracks. Many Delaware health systems offer tuition support or ladder programs that effectively eliminate program cost — making the MA-to-RN economic transition substantially more favorable than the headline tuition implies.

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 Delaware 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.