Medical Assistants salary in Birmingham, AL
Median pay for medical assistants in Birmingham, AL: $36,110/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $28,720 – $46,340 · about 4,120 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($39,165) by −$3,055 (-8%).
What it's really worth in Birmingham
With Birmingham's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $36,110 has the buying power of about $39,351 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $68,329 · median home $262,556 · median rent $1,448/mo.
How Birmingham ranks for this job
On raw pay, Birmingham, AL is 149th of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Birmingham's cost of living is applied, it ranks 135th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Birmingham sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Birmingham
A median home in Birmingham, AL costs $262,556 — about 7.3× 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 $1,448/mo works out at 48% 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 Birmingham.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Birmingham | Rent vs Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +107% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +68% | 2.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +66% | 2.3× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +65% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in AL
| Metro | Median pay | vs Birmingham | Rent vs Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL | $35,410 | −2% | 1× |
| Daphne, AL | $35,080 | −3% | 1.1× |
| Montgomery, AL | $34,020 | −6% | 1× |
| Mobile, AL | $33,800 | −6% | 0.9× |
Staying in AL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Birmingham
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham · Education
- Encompass Health · Healthcare
- Medfast · Healthcare
- University of Birmingham · Education
Other jobs in Birmingham
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.