Medical Assistant.
San Diego.
$54,000
median salary, 23% above the national average
$46,000 to $58,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Medical Assistant in San Diego earns a median of $54,000 in 2026. That is 23% above the national average. The range runs from $46,000 to $58,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Certification status is the largest pay differentiator, with CMA and RMA credentials adding 10 to 15% over uncertified MAs. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Medical Assistant in San Diego, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $49,420 for Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092) in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area, based on 9,370 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$43,340
25th percentile
$47,690
Median
$49,420
75th percentile
$60,480
90th percentile
$66,340
Workers surveyed
9,370
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092) rather than Medical Assistant specifically. The San Diego range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 31-9092Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $49,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$35,000
to $43,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$46,000
to $57,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$59,000
to $70,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$68,000
to $84,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $11,000 to the total package.
Base
$54,000
Equity
$6,000
Bonus
$4,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $65,000
How San Diego compares.
San Diego, CA
$54,000
Cost of living: 17% above average
National Average
$44,000
San Diego is $10,000 above
Medical Assistant salary by city.
Salary by role in San Diego.
What you should know.
The Medical Assistant landscape in San Diego is not what most salary sites will tell you. San Diego's economy thrives on defense, biotech, and a growing tech startup scene. The city's proximity to major military installations drives strong aerospace and cybersecurity demand. Biotech companies along the Torrey Pines corridor compete aggressively for scientific and engineering talent, pushing specialized salaries close to Bay Area levels. Certification status is the largest pay differentiator, with CMA and RMA credentials adding 10 to 15% over uncertified MAs. Specialty practices like dermatology, orthopedics, and cardiology pay more than general primary care. Urban areas and hospital-owned practices consistently offer higher wages than rural independent clinics.
Entry-level MAs start at $30,000 to $34,000 without certification. Certified MAs with three to five years of experience earn $38,000 to $44,000. Lead MAs or clinical supervisors overseeing support staff can reach $46,000 to $55,000 in larger practices or health systems. In San Diego, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 17% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Medical assistants typically receive health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plan access. Some employers offer tuition assistance for nursing or allied health programs, which adds long-term value beyond the base salary. And on the tax side: california's top 13.3% state tax applies here. While San Diego has no city income tax, the state burden means you should negotiate gross pay higher than you might expect for the cost of living. When someone quotes you $54,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage defense and biotech sector demand. Candidates with security clearances or specialized science backgrounds can command 15 to 20% premiums in San Diego. The range for Medical Assistants in San Diego runs from $46,000 to $58,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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- A Pharmacy Technician in San Diego earns $52,000 (4% less)
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Common questions.
Medical Assistant salary in other cities.
Other salaries in San Diego.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Medical Assistants in San Diego.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Medical Assistant Salary in San Diego, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/medical-assistant/san-diego
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