Medical Assistant.
San Francisco.
$58,000
median salary, 32% above the national average
$50,000 to $63,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Medical Assistant offer in San Francisco, CA, here is the reality: $50,000 to $63,000, with $58,000 as the midpoint. 32% above the national average. Certification status is the largest pay differentiator, with CMA and RMA credentials adding 10 to 15% over uncertified MAs. Do not accept the first number. 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 Francisco, 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 $59,790 for Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092) in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, based on 14,320 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$47,070
25th percentile
$50,120
Median
$59,790
75th percentile
$77,260
90th percentile
$79,750
Workers surveyed
14,320
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 Francisco 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 $52,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$38,000
to $46,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$49,000
to $61,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$64,000
to $75,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$73,000
to $90,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $11,000 to the total package.
Base
$58,000
Equity
$6,000
Bonus
$4,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $69,000
How San Francisco compares.
San Francisco, CA
$58,000
Cost of living: 35% above average
National Average
$44,000
San Francisco is $14,000 above
Medical Assistant salary by city.
Salary by role in San Francisco.
What you should know.
The Medical Assistant landscape in San Francisco is not what most salary sites will tell you. San Francisco is the epicenter of venture capital and startup innovation, consistently producing the highest tech salaries in the nation. The city's concentration of AI labs, SaaS companies, and fintech firms creates intense competition for talent. Despite remote work trends, SF still commands the steepest salary premiums for engineering and product roles. 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 Francisco, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 35% 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 marginal state income tax rate is 13.3%, the highest in the U.S. San Francisco has no additional city income tax, but overall tax burden remains steep. When someone quotes you $58,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage competing offers aggressively. SF employers expect candidates to shop around, and matching or beating a rival offer is standard practice here. The range for Medical Assistants in San Francisco runs from $50,000 to $63,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A Pharmacy Technician in San Francisco earns $56,000 (3% less)
- The highest-paying role in San Francisco is CTO at $401,000
Common questions.
Medical Assistant salary in other cities.
Other salaries in San Francisco.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Medical Assistants in San Francisco.
Related tools.
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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 Francisco, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/medical-assistant/san-francisco
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