How much does an MA make in District of Columbia?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $49,740 for MAs in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $46,720 and the 75th-percentile is $56,460.

What is the real (cost-adjusted) MA salary in District of Columbia?

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 110.7 for District of Columbia), the real-wage equivalent is $44,927 — what the $49,740 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $42,199 to $50,997.

How many MAs does District of Columbia employ?

BLS OES counts 2,530 MAs employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for District of Columbia 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. District of Columbia's overall index of 110.7 reflects rents 168.1, services 109.0, and goods 106.5.

How wide is the wage spread in District of Columbia?

P10 to P90 spans $39,000 to $62,630. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within District of Columbia.

Does CMA / RMA certification raise medical assistant pay in District of Columbia?

BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In District of Columbia, AAMA-certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and AMT Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credentials typically command a 5-15% pay premium versus uncertified MAs at comparable experience. The premium is concentrated in larger health systems and specialty clinics with formal MA tier structures; smaller primary-care practices in District of Columbia often pay similarly regardless of certification. Phlebotomy, EKG, and limited-X-ray endorsements add additional 3-8% premiums where state scope permits.

District of Columbia Medical Assistant Salary: BLS $50K Median, Real $45K (2026)

TL;DR

Median MA salary in District of Columbia: $49,740 nominal, $44,927 real (BEA RPP basis).
Quartile range $46,720 (bottom 25%) to $56,460 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $39,000 to $62,630.
High cost of living compresses the real wage by $4,813 below the nominal — most of which goes to rent and services.
State ranks #4 nationally on nominal wage, #21 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.

Wage breakdown — District of Columbia

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$39,000	$35,226
P25 (lower quartile)	$46,720	$42,199
P50 (median)	$49,740	$44,927
P75 (upper quartile)	$56,460	$50,997
P90 (top tier)	$62,630	$56,570
Mean	$52,880	$47,763
Employment	2,530 MAs in District of Columbia

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	District of Columbia index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	110.7
Goods	106.5
Services	109.0
Rents	168.1

District of Columbia is a high-cost state — RPP 110.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (168.1) and services (109.0).

After-tax take-home — District of Columbia (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (MA)	$49,740	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$3,831	7.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,908	4–10.75% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$3,805	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$40,196	80.8% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$36,306	÷ (110.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the District of Columbia state-tax burden means for MA take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $40,196 (80.8% of gross). After the 110.7 RPP, real take-home is $36,306.

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. District of Columbia sits at #4 on nominal pay and #21 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, District of Columbia falls 17 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MA make in District of Columbia?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $49,740 for MAs in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $46,720 and the 75th-percentile is $56,460.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) MA salary in District of Columbia?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 110.7 for District of Columbia), the real-wage equivalent is $44,927 — what the $49,740 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $42,199 to $50,997.
How many MAs does District of Columbia employ?: BLS OES counts 2,530 MAs employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for District of Columbia 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. District of Columbia's overall index of 110.7 reflects rents 168.1, services 109.0, and goods 106.5.
How wide is the wage spread in District of Columbia?: P10 to P90 spans $39,000 to $62,630. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within District of Columbia.
Does CMA / RMA certification raise medical assistant pay in District of Columbia?: BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In District of Columbia, AAMA-certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and AMT Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credentials typically command a 5-15% pay premium versus uncertified MAs at comparable experience. The premium is concentrated in larger health systems and specialty clinics with formal MA tier structures; smaller primary-care practices in District of Columbia often pay similarly regardless of certification. Phlebotomy, EKG, and limited-X-ray endorsements add additional 3-8% premiums where state scope permits.

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 District of Columbia 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.