San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a medical assistant make in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, medical assistants earned a median of $49,420 a year ($23.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,370 of these jobs there. That is 16% below the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $43,340 and $66,340; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,884 in take-home pay.

Medical assistant pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA at a glance

Median salary

$49,420$23.76 per hour · $4,118 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$43,340$20.84/hr
25th percentile$47,690$22.93/hr
75th percentile$60,480$29.08/hr
90th percentile$66,340$31.89/hr
Jobs in this metro9,370Location quotient 1.16 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here16% belowAll-jobs median $58,690
Against Californiaabout the same asStatewide median $49,660
Against the U.S.8% aboveNational 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 San Diego-Chula Vista, CA after taxes

$49,420
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$49,420
Net 83%
Fed 8%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,884After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,407Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,572Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,750 / yr
California state income tax$1,005 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,781 / yr

Medical assistants pay range in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What medical assistants earned in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$20.84/hr$3,612$43,340$36,287
25th percentile$22.93/hr$3,974$47,690$39,598
MedianMedian$23.76/hr$4,118$49,420$40,884
75th percentile$29.08/hr$5,040$60,480$49,107
90th percentile$31.89/hr$5,528$66,340$53,402

Is $49,420 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA?

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$106,268Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)111.911.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.5%of area median income

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

Medical assistant pay in San Diego-Chula Vista, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for medical assistants in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for medical assistants in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area was $49,420 in May 2025, about $4,118 a month or $23.76 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $49,660, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for medical assistants in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

The median hourly wage for medical assistants in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA was $23.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $20.84 an hour and one in ten earned more than $31.89.

How many medical assistants work in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS estimated 9,370 jobs for medical assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 6.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.16 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for medical assistants in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

BLS wage estimates for medical assistants in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA run from $43,340 at the 10th percentile to $47,690 at the 25th, $60,480 at the 75th, and $66,340 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do medical assistants take home after taxes in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On a median gross salary of $49,420, an estimated $40,884 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,572 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $8,536 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do medical assistants make per month in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

On the median annual salary of $49,420, gross monthly income is $4,118. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,407 per month (or $1,572 every two weeks).

Is $49,420 a good salary in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?

At $49,420, the median salary for medical assistants is 46.5% of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA median household income ($106,268). It is 16% below the $58,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 111.9, so prices here run 11.9% above the U.S. average.