How much does an MA make in Georgia?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $39,000 for MAs in Georgia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $36,280 and the 75th-percentile is $46,200.

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

After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 96.5 for Georgia), the real-wage equivalent is $40,417 — what the $39,000 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $37,598 to $47,879.

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

The 90th percentile lands at $48,950. 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 $46,200.

How many MAs does Georgia employ?

BLS OES counts 26,800 MAs employed in Georgia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does Georgia rank for MA pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Georgia 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.

Does CMA / RMA certification raise medical assistant pay in Georgia?

BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In Georgia, 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 Georgia often pay similarly regardless of certification. Phlebotomy, EKG, and limited-X-ray endorsements add additional 3-8% premiums where state scope permits.

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

MA → RN remains a common pathway in Georgia. The financial logic: an MA earning at the Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia? $39K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

Median MA salary in Georgia: $39,000 nominal, $40,417 real (BEA RPP basis).
Quartile range $36,280 (bottom 25%) to $46,200 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $31,130 to $48,950.
Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
State ranks #39 nationally on nominal wage, #46 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.

Wage breakdown — Georgia

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$31,130	$32,261
P25 (lower quartile)	$36,280	$37,598
P50 (median)	$39,000	$40,417
P75 (upper quartile)	$46,200	$47,879
P90 (top tier)	$48,950	$50,729
Mean	$40,890	$42,376
Employment	26,800 MAs in Georgia

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Georgia index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	96.5
Goods	97.7
Services	92.3
Rents	88.3

Georgia's overall RPP (96.5) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (MA)	$39,000	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$2,542	6.5% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,401	5.19% flat (2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$2,984	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$32,073	82.2% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$33,239	÷ (96.5 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.6% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $32,073 (82.2% of gross). After the 96.5 RPP, real take-home is $33,239.

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. Georgia sits at #39 on nominal pay and #46 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Georgia falls 7 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MA make in Georgia?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $39,000 for MAs in Georgia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $36,280 and the 75th-percentile is $46,200.
What is the real (cost-adjusted) MA salary in Georgia?: After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 96.5 for Georgia), the real-wage equivalent is $40,417 — what the $39,000 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $37,598 to $47,879.
What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in Georgia?: The 90th percentile lands at $48,950. 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 $46,200.
How many MAs does Georgia employ?: BLS OES counts 26,800 MAs employed in Georgia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does Georgia rank for MA pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Georgia 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.
Does CMA / RMA certification raise medical assistant pay in Georgia?: BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In Georgia, 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 Georgia often pay similarly regardless of certification. Phlebotomy, EKG, and limited-X-ray endorsements add additional 3-8% premiums where state scope permits.
Is the medical assistant role still a viable RN-bridge path in Georgia?: MA → RN remains a common pathway in Georgia. The financial logic: an MA earning at the Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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.