Medical Administrative Assistant salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA
Seattle-Tacoma is the most expensive place in Washington to hire a medical administrative assistant. The median is $60,350 a year1, 3.9% above the Washington statewide median of $58,100 and 31.4% above the US median of $45,930. Nationally that is #5 of 516 areas, in the top tenth. With about 6,420 medical administrative assistants, 59% of the Washington total, no area in Washington employs more.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Seattle-Tacoma against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | $46,900 | $60,350 | $75,230 | |
| Washington | $44,980 | $58,100 | $73,480 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
The middle half of medical administrative assistants in Seattle-Tacoma earns $51,130–$64,370. The top tenth earns $75,230 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 $13,240 wide, between the figure for Washington ($14,330) and the US figure ($12,010).
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 | $46,900 | $3,908 | $22.55 | $60,516 |
| 25th percentile | $51,130 | $4,261 | $24.58 | $65,974 |
| Median | $60,350 | $5,029 | $29.01 | $77,871 |
| 75th percentile | $64,370 | $5,364 | $30.95 | $83,058 |
| 90th percentile | $75,230 | $6,269 | $36.17 | $97,071 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $4,020 over it, while the 25th sits $9,220 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $5,187 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 below the 10th percentile in Seattle-Tacoma, and the Washington statewide median of $58,100 falls between the 25th percentile and the median. An offer at the national rate would be lower than what nine in ten local medical administrative assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in Seattle-Tacoma
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 $17,521 to the $60,350 median and brings it to $77,871 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 Seattle-Tacoma
Of the 17 roles we track in Seattle-Tacoma, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between HR assistants ($60,420) and administrative assistants ($60,230). Project Coordinator is the highest at $130,380.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +0.2% | 17,860 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.1% | 1,480 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 6,420 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -0.2% | 15,780 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -11.3% | 25,840 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Seattle-Tacoma (+31.4%), between paralegals (+47.7%) and marketing specialists (+29.7%). The typical role here is at +19.4%, so, measured against the US, medical administrative assistants cost more in Seattle-Tacoma than the area's general pay level would suggest. Medical administrative assistants hold 3.1% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Seattle-Tacoma, 3.2% across Washington and 6.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $46,810 in Wenatchee-East Wenatchee to $60,350 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $13,540 a year. No other area in Washington has as many medical administrative assistants, and all 12 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Seattle-Tacoma | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | this area | 6,420 | |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | -2.5% | 50 | |
| Bellingham, WA | -7.8% | 230 | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | -12.3% | 320 | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -15.9% | 350 | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -15.9% | 180 | |
| Western Washington (Nonmetro) | -16.4% | 440 |
Seattle-Tacoma against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Seattle-Tacoma is #33 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 Washington, Vallejo and San Francisco-Oakland pay just above Seattle-Tacoma and Santa Rosa-Petaluma and Sacramento-Roseville just below. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Seattle-Tacoma | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA | +14.9% | 6,340 | jobs | |
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +1.6% | 13,660 | pay | |
| Vallejo, CA | +1.4% | 990 | pay | |
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | this area | 6,420 | ||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | -0.2% | 1,190 | pay | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -4.3% | 7,710 | pay | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -24.4% | 6,570 | jobs | |
| Knoxville, TN | -36.3% | 6,280 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?
About $77,871 a year at the median, or $6,489 a month: $60,350 in pay plus about $17,521 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for medical administrative assistants in Seattle-Tacoma?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $60,350 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,900, the 90th $75,230, and the middle half earned $51,130 to $64,370.
Is Seattle-Tacoma the most expensive area in Washington for medical administrative assistants?
Yes. Its median of $60,350 is the highest of 13 areas in Washington. Longview-Kelso comes next at $58,830.
How many medical administrative assistants work in Seattle-Tacoma?
BLS counts about 6,420 in the May 2025 survey. That is 59% of the Washington total of 10,960. No other area in Washington has as many.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than an administrative assistant in Seattle-Tacoma?
Yes: $120 a year more at the median. The medians are $60,350 and $60,230.
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.