Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Asheville, NC
Asheville is a lower-cost market for medical administrative assistants: the median of $41,520 a year1 is 6.0% below the North Carolina statewide median of $44,190, and 9.6% below the US median of $45,930. Nationally it ranks #284 of 516 areas. About 3,000 medical administrative assistants work here, 5% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Asheville, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Asheville against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | $36,980 | $41,520 | $56,680 | |
| North Carolina | $35,880 | $44,190 | $55,290 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
Medical administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $56,680, 1.5 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Asheville earns $38,940–$46,870. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $7,930 wide, against $9,510 across North Carolina and $12,010 nationally: employers in Asheville pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a medical administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,980 | $3,082 | $17.78 | $47,716 |
| 25th percentile | $38,940 | $3,245 | $18.72 | $50,245 |
| Median | $41,520 | $3,460 | $19.96 | $53,574 |
| 75th percentile | $46,870 | $3,906 | $22.53 | $60,477 |
| 90th percentile | $56,680 | $4,723 | $27.25 | $73,135 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $5,350 over the median, the 25th only $2,580 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $6,903 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $45,930 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Asheville, and the North Carolina statewide median of $44,190 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Asheville
At the $41,520 median, a local hire costs about $53,574 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,054 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for medical administrative assistants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Asheville
Of the 17 roles we track in Asheville, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($44,240) and data entry specialists ($40,380). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,470.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +7.6% | 140 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +6.6% | 1,550 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 3,000 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -2.7% | 130 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -6.1% | 2,850 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Asheville (-9.6%), between paralegals (-8.6%) and customer support specialists (-12.9%). The typical role here is at -7.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Medical administrative assistants hold 15.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Asheville, 10.9% across North Carolina and 6.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $37,600 in Fayetteville to $46,860 in Durham-Chapel Hill, a gap of $9,260 a year. All 5 areas in North Carolina with more medical administrative assistants than Asheville also pay more, among them Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC ($45,650) and Raleigh-Cary, NC ($46,600).
| Area | Median | vs Asheville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +9.9% | 13,380 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | +7.2% | 3,870 | |
| Burlington, NC | +6.4% | 620 | |
| Asheville, NC | this area | 3,000 | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | -0.1% | 420 | |
| Wilmington, NC | -3.6% | 2,700 | |
| Greenville, NC | -3.7% | 1,640 |
Asheville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Asheville is #59 of 514 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside North Carolina, Springfield and Niles pay just above Asheville and Muskegon-Norton Shores and Flint just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Asheville. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Asheville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +10.7% | 3,110 | jobs | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +7.5% | 3,040 | jobs | |
| Niles, MI | +0.1% | 320 | pay | |
| Springfield, OH | +0.0% | 170 | pay | |
| Asheville, NC | this area | 3,000 | ||
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | -0.0% | 350 | pay | |
| Flint, MI | -0.2% | 1,230 | pay | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -5.1% | 3,090 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Asheville, NC?
About $53,574 a year at the median, or $4,465 a month: $41,520 in pay plus about $12,054 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for medical administrative assistants in Asheville?
The median was $41,520 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,980, the 90th $56,680, and the middle half earned $38,940 to $46,870.
Is Asheville cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for medical administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $41,520 against $44,190 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Burlington at $44,190, the next down Rocky Mount at $41,480.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Asheville?
BLS counts about 3,000 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the North Carolina total of 56,840. 5 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Greensboro-High Point, with about 3,870.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than a data entry specialist in Asheville?
Yes: $1,140 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,520 and $40,380.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6013: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.