Medical Assistants salary in Houston, TX
Median pay for medical assistants in Houston, TX: $38,810/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $30,940 – $48,420 · about 15,820 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($39,165) by −$355 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Houston
With Houston's cost of living at 100 (US=100), that $38,810 has the buying power of about $38,914 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $78,061 · median home $308,306 · median rent $1,639/mo.
How Houston ranks for this job
On raw pay, Houston, TX is 101st of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Houston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 148th.
The headline number flatters Houston. 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 Houston
A median home in Houston, TX costs $308,306 — about 7.9× 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 $1,639/mo works out at 51% 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 Houston.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Houston | Rent vs Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +93% | 1.5× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +56% | 2.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +54% | 2× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +53% | 1.4× |
Same job elsewhere in TX
| Metro | Median pay | vs Houston | Rent vs Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $44,880 | +16% | 1× |
| Dallas, TX | $39,240 | +1% | 1× |
| San Antonio, TX | $37,550 | −3% | 0.9× |
| College Station, TX | $36,970 | −5% | 0.9× |
Staying in TX keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Houston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Houston Methodist · Healthcare
- MD Anderson Cancer Center · Healthcare
Other jobs in Houston
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.