Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Baltimore-Columbia, MD
No other area in Maryland pays medical administrative assistants more than Baltimore-Columbia: the median is $47,680 a year1. That is about level with the Maryland statewide median of $47,850, and 3.8% above the US median of $45,930. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#80 of 516). It is the largest market for the job in Maryland: about 8,640 people, 50% of the Maryland total.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Baltimore-Columbia against Maryland and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | $39,050 | $47,680 | $60,660 | |
| Maryland | $38,070 | $47,850 | $61,750 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
Medical administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $60,660, 1.6 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Baltimore-Columbia earns $43,930–$52,780. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $8,850 wide, against $12,230 across Maryland and $12,010 nationally: employers in Baltimore-Columbia 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 | $39,050 | $3,254 | $18.77 | $50,387 |
| 25th percentile | $43,930 | $3,661 | $21.12 | $56,684 |
| Median | $47,680 | $3,973 | $22.92 | $61,523 |
| 75th percentile | $52,780 | $4,398 | $25.38 | $68,103 |
| 90th percentile | $60,660 | $5,055 | $29.16 | $78,271 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,100 a year in pay and about $6,581 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $3,750 in pay. 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 25th percentile and the median in Baltimore-Columbia, and the Maryland statewide median of $47,850 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Baltimore-Columbia
At the $47,680 median, a local hire costs about $61,523 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,843 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 Baltimore-Columbia
Of the 17 roles we track in Baltimore-Columbia, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($48,370) and customer support specialists ($42,850). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,720.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +3.2% | 29,780 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +1.4% | 320 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 8,640 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -10.1% | 17,480 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -19.6% | 860 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Baltimore-Columbia (+3.8%), between paralegals (+4.4%) and payroll specialists (+3.6%). The typical role here is at +3.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Medical administrative assistants hold 5.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Baltimore-Columbia, 5.6% across Maryland and 6.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Maryland
Across the 5 areas of Maryland with data for this job, the median runs from $41,660 in Hagerstown-Martinsburg to $47,680 in Baltimore-Columbia, a gap of $6,020 a year. No other area in Maryland has as many medical administrative assistants, and all 4 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Baltimore-Columbia | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | this area | 8,640 | |
| Lexington Park, MD | -5.7% | 440 | |
| Maryland (Nonmetro) | -6.5% | 670 | |
| Salisbury, MD | -8.3% | 540 | |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | -12.6% | 440 |
Baltimore-Columbia against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Baltimore-Columbia is #21 of 514 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Maryland, Lewiston-Auburn and Racine-Mount Pleasant pay just above Baltimore-Columbia and Chicago-Naperville and Bangor just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Baltimore-Columbia. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Baltimore-Columbia | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +14.4% | 8,290 | jobs | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +8.8% | 8,920 | jobs | |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI | +0.1% | 80 | pay | |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | +0.1% | 310 | pay | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | this area | 8,640 | ||
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.0% | 20,020 | pay | |
| Bangor, ME | -0.1% | 650 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -3.5% | 8,260 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Baltimore-Columbia, MD?
About $61,523 a year at the median, or $5,127 a month: $47,680 in pay plus about $13,843 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do medical administrative assistants earn in Baltimore-Columbia?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,680 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,050, the 90th $60,660, and the middle half earned $43,930 to $52,780.
Is Baltimore-Columbia the most expensive area in Maryland for medical administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $47,680 is the highest of 5 areas in Maryland. Lexington Park comes next at $44,980.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Baltimore-Columbia?
BLS counts about 8,640 in the May 2025 survey. That is 50% of the Maryland total of 17,290. No other area in Maryland has as many.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Baltimore-Columbia?
Yes: $4,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,680 and $42,850.
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.