How much does an MA make in Maryland?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $45,060 for MAs in Maryland as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $39,120 and the 75th-percentile is $47,730.

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

The 90th percentile lands at $55,500. 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 $47,730.

Where does Maryland rank for MA pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Maryland 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.

How wide is the wage spread in Maryland?

P10 to P90 spans $37,040 to $55,500. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

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

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

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

BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In Maryland, 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 Maryland 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 Maryland?

MA → RN remains a common pathway in Maryland. The financial logic: an MA earning at the Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland? $45K (2026 BLS + BEA)

TL;DR

Headline MA pay in Maryland is $45,060. Real take-home, after the state's cost-of-living index, lands at $43,078.
MA ranking: #22 on the BLS table, #32 once cost of living is in.
Cost of living tracks roughly with the national index, so nominal and real wages stay close.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $37,040 · P25 $39,120 · P75 $47,730 · P90 $55,500.

Wage breakdown — Maryland

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$37,040	$35,410
P25 (lower quartile)	$39,120	$37,399
P50 (median)	$45,060	$43,078
P75 (upper quartile)	$47,730	$45,630
P90 (top tier)	$55,500	$53,058
Mean	$45,260	$43,269
Employment	14,700 MAs in Maryland

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Maryland index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	104.6
Goods	103.2
Services	108.7
Rents	119.9

Maryland's overall RPP (104.6) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (MA)	$45,060	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$3,269	7.3% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$1,967	2–5.75% (graduated, +county piggyback 2.25–3.2%)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$3,447	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$36,377	80.7% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$34,777	÷ (104.6 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.4% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $36,377 (80.7% of gross). After the 104.6 RPP, real take-home is $34,777. Local-tax overlay: Maryland counties piggyback 2.25–3.2% on state liability — Baltimore City and Howard / Montgomery / PG counties at the top of the range.

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. Maryland sits at #22 on nominal pay and #32 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Maryland falls 10 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an MA make in Maryland?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $45,060 for MAs in Maryland as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $39,120 and the 75th-percentile is $47,730.
What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in Maryland?: The 90th percentile lands at $55,500. 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 $47,730.
Where does Maryland rank for MA pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Maryland 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.
How wide is the wage spread in Maryland?: P10 to P90 spans $37,040 to $55,500. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Maryland a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for MAs?: No — Maryland's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Does CMA / RMA certification raise medical assistant pay in Maryland?: BLS does not split certified from uncertified medical assistants under SOC 31-9092. In Maryland, 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 Maryland 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 Maryland?: MA → RN remains a common pathway in Maryland. The financial logic: an MA earning at the Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.