Medical Administrative Assistant salary in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area
Hiring a medical administrative assistant costs less in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area than in Alabama or the country as a whole. The median is $34,880 a year1: 5.6% below the Alabama statewide median of $36,930 and 24.1% below the US median of $45,930. Only 5 of 516 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 450 people in this job here, 3% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | $28,430 | $34,880 | $47,820 | |
| Alabama | $29,890 | $36,930 | $50,900 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
Medical administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $47,820, 1.7 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.7. The middle half of medical administrative assistants in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area earns $29,990–$38,180. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $8,190 wide, against $11,190 across Alabama and $12,010 nationally: employers in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area 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 | $28,430 | $2,369 | $13.67 | $36,684 |
| 25th percentile | $29,990 | $2,499 | $14.42 | $38,697 |
| Median | $34,880 | $2,907 | $16.77 | $45,006 |
| 75th percentile | $38,180 | $3,182 | $18.36 | $49,265 |
| 90th percentile | $47,820 | $3,985 | $22.99 | $61,703 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $3,300 a year in pay and about $4,258 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,890 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, and the Alabama statewide median of $36,930 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local medical administrative assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area
At the $34,880 median, a local hire costs about $45,006 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,126 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 the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($37,300) and HR assistants ($34,460). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,000.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +9.3% | 1,660 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +6.9% | 640 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 450 | |
| HR Assistant | -1.2% | 30 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -15.0% | 210 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #11 of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area (-24.1%), between office managers (-23.9%) and HR assistants (-31.9%). The typical role here is at -22.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Medical administrative assistants hold 8.1% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, 7.7% across Alabama and 6.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $34,670 in Gadsden to $39,150 in Birmingham, a gap of $4,480 a year. Of the 11 areas in Alabama with more medical administrative assistants than the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area, 1 pays less: the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area ($34,690).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan, AL | +1.9% | 690 | |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | +1.7% | 590 | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | +0.8% | 350 | |
| Southeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | +0.8% | 480 | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 450 | |
| Northeast Alabama (Nonmetro) | -0.5% | 1,180 | |
| Gadsden, AL | -0.6% | 430 |
the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area is #326 of 514 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Alabama, Valdosta and Houma-Bayou Cane pay just above the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area and Hattiesburg and Alexandria just below. All four are within $420 a year of the median in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +25.7% | 450 | jobs | |
| San Angelo, TX | +22.0% | 460 | jobs | |
| Terre Haute, IN | +9.8% | 460 | jobs | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | +0.6% | 200 | pay | |
| Valdosta, GA | +0.3% | 510 | pay | |
| Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | this area | 450 | ||
| Hattiesburg, MS | -0.5% | n/a | pay | |
| Alexandria, LA | -1.2% | 150 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Southwest Alabama (Nonmetro)?
About $45,006 a year at the median, or $3,751 a month: $34,880 in pay plus about $10,126 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do medical administrative assistants earn in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $34,880 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,430, the 90th $47,820, and the middle half earned $29,990 to $38,180.
Is the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Alabama for medical administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $34,880 against $36,930 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area at $35,160, the next down the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area at $34,690.
How many medical administrative assistants work in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 450 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Alabama total of 16,580. 11 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Alabama nonmetro area, with about 480.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than an HR assistant in the Southwest Alabama nonmetro area?
Yes: $420 a year more at the median. The medians are $34,880 and $34,460.
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.