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Medical Administrative Assistant salary in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area

Hiring a medical administrative assistant costs less in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area than in Iowa or the country as a whole. The median is $39,460 a year1: 3.7% below the Iowa statewide median of $40,980 and 14.1% below the US median of $45,930. Nationally it ranks #336 of 516 areas. BLS counts about 640 people in this job here, 6% of the Iowa total.

$3,288median pay per month in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area
$4,243employer cost per month with benefits
$18.97median pay per hour
640people in this job in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-6013, area Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area against Iowa and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro)$34,360$39,460$48,390
Iowa$35,240$40,980$50,130
United States$35,930$45,930$60,530
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of medical administrative assistants in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area earns $36,900–$46,760. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $48,390, only 1.4 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 $9,860 wide, between the figure for Iowa ($9,420) and the US figure ($12,010).

What to budget for a medical administrative assistant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$34,360$2,863$16.52$44,335
25th percentile$36,900$3,075$17.74$47,613
Median$39,460$3,288$18.97$50,916
75th percentile$46,760$3,897$22.48$60,335
90th percentile$48,390$4,032$23.26$62,439

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $7,300 over the median, the 25th only $2,560 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $9,419 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 the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area, and the Iowa statewide median of $40,980 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area

At the $39,460 median, a local hire costs about $50,916 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,456 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.

$50,916local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$37,028difference in year one
73%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($41,700) and virtual receptionists ($38,250). Project Coordinator is the highest at $85,440.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs medical administrative assistantJobs
Data Entry Specialist
$43,860
+11.2%60
Customer Support Specialist
$42,860
+8.6%1,150
Administrative Assistant
$41,700
+5.7%1,030
Medical Administrative Assistant
$39,460
this role640
Virtual Receptionist
$38,250
-3.1%300

Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area (-14.1%), between administrative assistants (-12.3%) and project coordinators (-16.5%). The typical role here is at -12.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Medical administrative assistants hold 8.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area, 7.7% across Iowa and 6.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.

Other areas in Iowa

Across the 12 areas of Iowa with data for this job, the median runs from $38,290 in the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area to $50,130 in Iowa City, a gap of $11,840 a year. Of the 6 areas in Iowa with more medical administrative assistants than the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area, 4 pay less, the largest of them the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area ($38,290), Davenport-Moline, IA-IL ($39,270) and Cedar Rapids, IA ($38,830).

AreaMedianvs the Northeast Iowa nonmetro areaJobs
Sioux City, IA-NE
$41,890
+6.2%400
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
$40,660
+3.0%620
Ames, IA
$40,210
+1.9%420
Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro)
$39,460
this area640
Dubuque, IA
$39,340
-0.3%410
Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro)
$39,300
-0.4%840
Southwest Iowa (Nonmetro)
$39,290
-0.4%470

the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area is #249 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Iowa, Orlando-Kissimmee and Lakeland-Winter Haven pay just above the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area and Savannah and Greenville-Anderson just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, one pays more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Northeast Iowa nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Bangor, ME
$47,640
+20.7%650jobs
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
$39,520
+0.2%2,470pay
Orlando-Kissimmee, FL
$39,520
+0.2%13,050pay
Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro)
$39,460
this area640
Savannah, GA
$39,430
-0.1%1,480pay
Greenville-Anderson, SC
$39,410
-0.1%3,090pay
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
$38,090
-3.5%650jobs
Lafayette, LA
$37,710
-4.4%640jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro)?

About $50,916 a year at the median, or $4,243 a month: $39,460 in pay plus about $11,456 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What is the pay range for medical administrative assistants in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area?

The median was $39,460 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,360, the 90th $48,390, and the middle half earned $36,900 to $46,760.

Is the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Iowa for medical administrative assistants?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $39,460 against $40,980 statewide. The next area up in Iowa is Ames at $40,210, the next down Dubuque at $39,340.

How many medical administrative assistants work in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 640 in the May 2025 survey. That is 6% of the Iowa total of 10,560. 6 areas in Iowa have more; the closest in size is the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area, with about 840.

Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than a virtual receptionist in the Northeast Iowa nonmetro area?

Yes: $1,210 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,460 and $38,250.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6013: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.