Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
For this job Harrisburg-Carlisle sits right at the Pennsylvania figure, with a median of $44,920 a year1. That is about level with the Pennsylvania statewide median of $44,930, and 2.2% below the US median of $45,930. Among US areas it comes in at #193 of 516. BLS counts about 1,380 people in this job here, 5% of the Pennsylvania total.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Harrisburg-Carlisle against Pennsylvania and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $37,050 | $44,920 | $54,080 | |
| Pennsylvania | $36,280 | $44,930 | $58,170 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Harrisburg-Carlisle earns $39,530–$47,430. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $54,080, only 1.5 times the bottom tenth, against 1.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $7,900 wide, against $9,510 across Pennsylvania and $12,010 nationally: employers in Harrisburg-Carlisle 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 | $37,050 | $3,088 | $17.81 | $47,806 |
| 25th percentile | $39,530 | $3,294 | $19.00 | $51,006 |
| Median | $44,920 | $3,743 | $21.60 | $57,961 |
| 75th percentile | $47,430 | $3,952 | $22.80 | $61,200 |
| 90th percentile | $54,080 | $4,507 | $26.00 | $69,781 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $2,510 over it, while the 25th sits $5,390 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $3,239 more a year with benefits. 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, and the Pennsylvania statewide median of $44,930 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Harrisburg-Carlisle
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $13,041 to the $44,920 median and brings it to $57,961 a year. 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle
Of the 17 roles we track in Harrisburg-Carlisle, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($45,420) and customer support specialists ($42,600). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,850.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +5.6% | 3,770 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +1.1% | 130 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,380 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -5.2% | 5,040 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -15.6% | 200 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Harrisburg-Carlisle (-2.2%), between e-commerce order specialists (-1.6%) and virtual receptionists (-2.9%). The typical role here is at -4.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Medical administrative assistants hold 4.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Harrisburg-Carlisle, 4.8% across Pennsylvania and 6.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
Across the 20 areas of Pennsylvania with data for this job, the median runs from $38,230 in the Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetro area to $47,120 in Philadelphia-Camden, a gap of $8,890 a year. Of the 3 areas in Pennsylvania with more medical administrative assistants than Harrisburg-Carlisle, 1 pays less: Pittsburgh, PA ($44,260).
| Area | Median | vs Harrisburg-Carlisle | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster, PA | +1.2% | 980 | |
| Reading, PA | +0.6% | 690 | |
| Williamsport, PA | +0.0% | 150 | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | this area | 1,380 | |
| State College, PA | -1.4% | 250 | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | -1.5% | 6,020 | |
| York-Hanover, PA | -1.5% | 890 |
Harrisburg-Carlisle against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Harrisburg-Carlisle is #124 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 Pennsylvania, Naples-Marco Island and Lexington Park pay just above Harrisburg-Carlisle and Great Falls and Syracuse just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Harrisburg-Carlisle. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Harrisburg-Carlisle | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +6.7% | 1,360 | jobs | |
| Lexington Park, MD | +0.1% | 440 | pay | |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | +0.1% | 1,370 | pay | |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | this area | 1,380 | ||
| Great Falls, MT | -0.1% | 340 | pay | |
| Syracuse, NY | -0.1% | 1,870 | pay | |
| Lubbock, TX | -11.9% | 1,390 | jobs | |
| Mobile, AL | -19.4% | 1,420 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?
About $57,961 a year at the median, or $4,830 a month: $44,920 in pay plus about $13,041 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do medical administrative assistants earn in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
The median was $44,920 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,050, the 90th $54,080, and the middle half earned $39,530 to $47,430.
Is Harrisburg-Carlisle cheaper than the rest of Pennsylvania for medical administrative assistants?
About the same: a median of $44,920 against $44,930 statewide. The next area up in Pennsylvania is Williamsport at $44,930, the next down State College at $44,280.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
BLS counts about 1,380 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Pennsylvania total of 27,600. 3 areas in Pennsylvania have more; the closest in size is Allentown-Bethlehem, with about 1,960.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Harrisburg-Carlisle?
Yes: $2,320 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,920 and $42,600.
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.