Medical Assistants salary in Allentown, PA
Median pay for medical assistants in Allentown, PA: $39,530/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $35,940 – $49,270 · about 1,720 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($39,165) by +$365 (+1%).
What it's really worth in Allentown
With Allentown's cost of living at 99 (US=100), that $39,530 has the buying power of about $39,978 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $78,597 · median home $363,989 · median rent $1,857/mo.
How Allentown ranks for this job
On raw pay, Allentown, PA is 85th of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Allentown's cost of living is applied, it ranks 116th.
The headline number flatters Allentown. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, medical assistants here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Allentown
A median home in Allentown, PA costs $363,989 — about 9.2× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,857/mo works out at 56% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where medical assistants earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Allentown.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Allentown | Rent vs Allentown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +89% | 1.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +53% | 2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +51% | 1.8× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +51% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in PA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Allentown | Rent vs Allentown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA | $44,700 | +13% | 1× |
| Reading, PA | $41,600 | +5% | 0.8× |
| Harrisburg, PA | $39,470 | +0% | 0.8× |
| Lancaster, PA | $38,260 | −3% | 0.8× |
Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Allentown
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Lehigh Valley Health Network · Healthcare
- Lehigh University · Education
- Allentown School District · Education
Other jobs in Allentown
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.