Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical assistant make in Hickory-Lenoir, NC?

In the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan area, medical assistants earned a median of $43,290 a year ($20.81 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 820 of these jobs there. That is 4% below the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,080 and $47,900; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $35,745 in take-home pay.

Medical assistant pay in Hickory-Lenoir, NC at a glance

Median salary

$43,290$20.81 per hour · $3,608 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,080$16.87/hr
25th percentile$36,830$17.71/hr
75th percentile$47,730$22.95/hr
90th percentile$47,900$23.03/hr
Jobs in this metro820Location quotient 1.01 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here4% belowAll-jobs median $45,220
Against North Carolina4% belowStatewide median $45,140
Against the U.S.5% belowNational median $45,690

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Medical assistant salary in Hickory-Lenoir, NC after taxes

$43,290
$15,000$90,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$43,290
Net 83%
Fed 7%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$35,745After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,979Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,375Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,015 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$1,219 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,312 / yr

Medical assistants pay range in Hickory-Lenoir, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What medical assistants earned in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$16.87/hr$2,923$35,080$29,476
25th percentile$17.71/hr$3,069$36,830$30,812
MedianMedian$20.81/hr$3,608$43,290$35,745
75th percentile$22.95/hr$3,978$47,730$39,135
90th percentile$23.03/hr$3,992$47,900$39,265

Is $43,290 a good salary in Hickory-Lenoir, NC?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for medical assistants next to both.

Median household income$62,787Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.511.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household68.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Medical assistant pay in Hickory-Lenoir, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for medical assistants in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for medical assistants in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area was $43,290 in May 2025, about $3,608 a month or $20.81 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $45,140, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical assistants in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

The median hourly wage for medical assistants in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC was $20.81 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.87 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.03.

How many medical assistants work in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

BLS estimated 820 jobs for medical assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical assistants in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

BLS wage estimates for medical assistants in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC run from $35,080 at the 10th percentile to $36,830 at the 25th, $47,730 at the 75th, and $47,900 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do medical assistants take home after taxes in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

On a median gross salary of $43,290, an estimated $35,745 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,375 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,545 (an effective rate of 17.4%).

How much do medical assistants make per month in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

On the median annual salary of $43,290, gross monthly income is $3,608. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,979 per month (or $1,375 every two weeks).

Is $43,290 a good salary in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?

At $43,290, the median salary for medical assistants is 68.9% of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC median household income ($62,787). It is 4% below the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.5, so prices here run 11.5% below the U.S. average.