Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
For this job Hilton Head Island-Bluffton sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $41,600 a year1. That is 3.6% above the South Carolina statewide median of $40,170, and 9.4% below the US median of $45,930. Among US areas it comes in at #280 of 516. About 740 medical administrative assistants work here, 5% of the South Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against South Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | $35,940 | $41,600 | $57,090 | |
| South Carolina | $34,780 | $40,170 | $56,890 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton earns $37,690–$47,110. The top tenth earns $57,090 or more, 1.6 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,420 wide, against $9,750 across South Carolina and $12,010 nationally: employers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton 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 | $35,940 | $2,995 | $17.28 | $46,374 |
| 25th percentile | $37,690 | $3,141 | $18.12 | $48,632 |
| Median | $41,600 | $3,467 | $20.00 | $53,677 |
| 75th percentile | $47,110 | $3,926 | $22.65 | $60,787 |
| 90th percentile | $57,090 | $4,758 | $27.45 | $73,665 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,510 a year in pay and about $7,110 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $3,910 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 median and the 75th percentile in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, and the South Carolina statewide median of $40,170 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
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 $12,077 to the $41,600 median and brings it to $53,677 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton
Of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between HR assistants ($44,950) and customer support specialists ($37,590). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,990.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +12.5% | 1,060 | |
| HR Assistant | +8.1% | n/a | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 740 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -9.6% | 1,640 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -14.6% | 650 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #7 of the 16 roles we track in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton (-9.4%), between recruiters (-8.2%) and marketing specialists (-9.4%). The typical role here is at -10.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Medical administrative assistants hold 8.4% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 6.3% across South 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 South Carolina
Across the 11 areas of South Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $37,030 in Florence to $44,640 in Charleston-North Charleston, a gap of $7,610 a year. Of the 6 areas in South Carolina with more medical administrative assistants than Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, 5 pay less, the largest of them Greenville-Anderson, SC ($39,410), Columbia, SC ($40,160) and Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC ($38,950).
| Area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +7.3% | 3,040 | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 740 | |
| Columbia, SC | -3.5% | 2,230 | |
| Spartanburg, SC | -3.7% | 780 | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -5.3% | 3,090 | |
| Sumter, SC | -5.3% | 190 | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -6.4% | 1,070 |
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton is #222 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside South Carolina, Tucson and Bloomington pay just above Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Port St. Lucie and Niles just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Hilton Head Island-Bluffton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | +0.1% | 500 | pay | |
| Tucson, AZ | +0.0% | 2,050 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | this area | 740 | ||
| Port St. Lucie, FL | +0.0% | 1,750 | pay | |
| Niles, MI | -0.1% | 320 | pay | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | -4.7% | 720 | jobs | |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | -7.6% | 760 | jobs | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -10.0% | 740 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC?
About $53,677 a year at the median, or $4,473 a month: $41,600 in pay plus about $12,077 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do medical administrative assistants earn in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
The median was $41,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,940, the 90th $57,090, and the middle half earned $37,690 to $47,110.
Is Hilton Head Island-Bluffton cheaper than the rest of South Carolina for medical administrative assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $41,600 against $40,170 statewide. The next area up in South Carolina is Charleston-North Charleston at $44,640, the next down Columbia at $40,160.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
BLS counts about 740 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the South Carolina total of 15,630. 6 areas in South Carolina have more; the closest in size is Spartanburg, with about 780.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton?
Yes: $4,010 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,600 and $37,590.
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.