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

The 90th percentile lands at $56,620. 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 $49,240.

How many MAs does North Dakota employ?

BLS OES counts 650 MAs employed in North Dakota in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

How wide is the wage spread in North Dakota?

P10 to P90 spans $35,430 to $56,620. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is North Dakota a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for MAs?

Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.2 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $41,040 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $46,544. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for MAs comparing offers across regions.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for North Dakota?

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 North Dakota.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

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

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

North Dakota Medical Assistant Salary: BLS $41K Median, Real $47K (2026)

TL;DR

Medical Assistants in North Dakota earn a BLS median of $41,040, with real take-home of $46,544 after BEA RPP adjustment.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $35,430 · P25 $37,650 · P75 $49,240 · P90 $56,620.
Below-100 RPP flips this state above its nominal rank in real-wage terms; the gap is about $5,504.
MA ranking: #33 on the BLS table, #12 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — North Dakota

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$35,430	$40,182
P25 (lower quartile)	$37,650	$42,700
P50 (median)	$41,040	$46,544
P75 (upper quartile)	$49,240	$55,844
P90 (top tier)	$56,620	$64,214
Mean	$43,450	$49,278
Employment	650 MAs in North Dakota

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	North Dakota index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	88.2
Goods	97.0
Services	75.0
Rents	69.3

North Dakota sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.2), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 69.3.

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

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (MA)	$41,040	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$2,787	6.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	$0	0–2.5% (graduated, 2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$3,140	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$35,114	85.6% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$39,823	÷ (88.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the North Dakota state-tax burden means for MA take-home

North Dakota's state tax is light at this income tier (~0.0% effective). The bigger compensation lever is the below-baseline cost of living (RPP 88.2), which lifts real take-home above nominal after-tax — net real after-tax $39,823.

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. North Dakota sits at #33 on nominal pay and #12 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, North Dakota climbs 21 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

What does the top of the MA pay scale look like in North Dakota?: The 90th percentile lands at $56,620. 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 $49,240.
How many MAs does North Dakota employ?: BLS OES counts 650 MAs employed in North Dakota in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
How wide is the wage spread in North Dakota?: P10 to P90 spans $35,430 to $56,620. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is North Dakota a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for MAs?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.2 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $41,040 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $46,544. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for MAs comparing offers across regions.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for North Dakota?: 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 North Dakota.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Specialty MA pay (cardiology / dermatology / ortho) vs primary care in North Dakota?: BLS aggregates all medical assistants under one SOC. In North Dakota, 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 North Dakota. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-health clinics in North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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.