Medical Assistant & Allied Health Support programs: earnings, debt and schools by state
2,149 certificate and associate-degree programs at 1,526 U.S. schools teach medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, EKG and other allied health support staff. Federal data shows what past graduates earned and borrowed. Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (CIP 51.08) includes medical assisting, pharmacy technician, EKG, patient-care technician and similar front-line clinical support programs.
Best-paying medical assistant programs (one year after completion)
Ranked by the median earnings of completers working and not enrolled, among programs with at least 10 earners reported. High earnings can reflect local labor markets and who enrolls, so compare debt and completion too.
| School | City | Program | Credential | Completers/yr | 1-yr earnings | Median debt | Monthly payment* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon Community College | Muskegon, MI | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 24 | $75,648 | $22,349 | $254 |
| Tacoma Community College | Tacoma, WA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 12 | $72,255 | – | – |
| Ohlone College | Fremont, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 20 | $68,879 | $14,125 | $161 |
| Carrington College-Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 5 | $66,213 | $27,813 | $316 |
| Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus | Pleasant Hill, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 79 | $66,213 | $27,813 | $316 |
| Institute of Technology | Clovis, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 64 | $64,726 | $25,564 | $291 |
| Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts | San Jose, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 25 | $64,234 | $14,785 | $168 |
| Loma Linda University | Loma Linda, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 43 | $63,091 | $14,000 | $159 |
| Essex County College | Newark, NJ | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 23 | $62,924 | $21,700 | $247 |
| Concorde Career College-San Diego | San Diego, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 36 | $62,059 | $27,000 | $307 |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College | Eau Claire, WI | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 25 | $61,569 | $14,205 | $161 |
| Wenatchee Valley College | Wenatchee, WA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 12 | $61,346 | – | – |
| Casa Loma College-Los Angeles | Sherman Oaks, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 24 | $60,983 | $27,291 | $310 |
| Concorde Career College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 38 | $60,971 | $27,334 | $311 |
| College of the Sequoias | Visalia, CA | Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate degree | 24 | $60,954 | $8,000 | $91 |
*Scorecard's estimated monthly payment on the median debt over 10 years. “Not reported” means the Department suppressed or did not publish the figure.
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Medical Assistant programs by state
| State | Programs | Schools | Median 1-yr earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 38 | 25 | $30,237 | $12,250 |
| Alaska | 8 | 5 | $39,756 | $14,104 |
| Arizona | 48 | 34 | $35,869 | $9,500 |
| Arkansas | 20 | 15 | $44,960 | $10,818 |
| California | 267 | 188 | $34,378 | $9,500 |
| Colorado | 39 | 24 | $37,700 | $13,525 |
| Connecticut | 12 | 10 | $37,222 | $11,031 |
| Delaware | 4 | 3 | $42,932 | $15,224 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | 1 | not reported | – |
| Florida | 133 | 103 | $34,215 | $11,838 |
| Georgia | 59 | 38 | $34,348 | $12,595 |
| Hawaii | 5 | 3 | $37,602 | $20,416 |
| Idaho | 17 | 10 | $39,100 | $11,414 |
| Illinois | 79 | 53 | $40,522 | $11,516 |
| Indiana | 24 | 20 | $34,235 | $11,031 |
| Iowa | 27 | 18 | $35,497 | $13,696 |
| Kansas | 36 | 25 | $41,196 | $17,448 |
| Kentucky | 43 | 26 | $32,090 | $9,712 |
| Louisiana | 45 | 38 | $27,984 | $9,500 |
| Maine | 16 | 11 | $42,319 | $8,708 |
| Maryland | 26 | 18 | $36,185 | $10,922 |
| Massachusetts | 28 | 19 | $42,414 | $13,750 |
| Michigan | 78 | 56 | $30,572 | $10,875 |
| Minnesota | 40 | 26 | $40,098 | $19,835 |
| Mississippi | 16 | 13 | $40,836 | $13,560 |
| Missouri | 42 | 31 | $36,486 | $11,305 |
| Montana | 9 | 7 | $46,910 | $13,375 |
| Nebraska | 11 | 7 | $39,484 | $15,524 |
| Nevada | 14 | 11 | $34,024 | $9,500 |
| New Hampshire | 7 | 4 | $44,367 | $11,875 |
| New Jersey | 60 | 45 | $35,682 | $10,981 |
| New Mexico | 27 | 17 | $34,358 | $16,533 |
| New York | 77 | 61 | $38,090 | $18,018 |
| North Carolina | 89 | 49 | $38,362 | $16,500 |
| North Dakota | 9 | 5 | $38,374 | $16,750 |
| Ohio | 125 | 92 | $33,769 | $12,250 |
| Oklahoma | 38 | 34 | $40,498 | $12,000 |
| Oregon | 27 | 20 | $41,646 | $12,106 |
| Pennsylvania | 83 | 67 | $37,838 | $16,125 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 3 | $44,222 | $17,487 |
| South Carolina | 28 | 19 | $36,196 | $14,900 |
| South Dakota | 6 | 5 | $37,850 | $12,000 |
| Tennessee | 54 | 41 | $30,280 | $12,595 |
| Texas | 137 | 100 | $32,034 | $9,500 |
| Utah | 21 | 17 | $35,278 | $9,267 |
| Vermont | 3 | 2 | $39,204 | $10,546 |
| Virginia | 33 | 24 | $37,324 | $20,000 |
| Washington | 61 | 35 | $47,000 | $12,106 |
| West Virginia | 25 | 18 | $31,396 | $11,043 |
| Wisconsin | 41 | 23 | $37,114 | $13,637 |
| Wyoming | 10 | 7 | $35,768 | $9,500 |
States with fewer than three programs have no detail page.
What to know before you enroll
Medical assistants are generally not state-licensed, but employers often prefer a credential such as the CMA (AAMA) or RMA. Many certifying bodies require graduation from an accredited program.
Questions to ask every school
- Is the program accredited by an agency that qualifies me for national certification?
- Is an externship included, and who arranges it?
- What is the cost per credential exam?
For national pay and job outlook, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics profile: Medical Assistants.
Frequently asked questions
How much do medical assistant graduates earn?
Among 1,023 medical assistant programs that report earnings, the median first-year figure is $36,193 for certificate programs ($32,792) and $42,087 for associate programs. These are medians of past graduates and vary by state and employer.
How much debt do medical assistant students take on?
The median federal loan debt among borrowers across programs reporting it is $11,375. Many students in short programs borrow nothing; the figure only covers borrowers.
Is the data current?
It comes from the College Scorecard release dated October 15, 2026. The Department updates it annually and each figure describes graduates from earlier years.
Can I trust a school's own job-placement claims?
Treat them as a starting point. Ask for the placement rate definition, the number of graduates counted and the time window, then compare with the federal earnings above.
Related programs
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study and Institution files (release dated 10/15/2026). Earnings are median annual earnings of completers working and not enrolled one year after finishing; debt is median federal loan debt of borrowers; both describe past cohorts and small programs are suppressed by the Department. See our methodology.