Medical Assistants salary in Roanoke, VA
Median pay for medical assistants in Roanoke, VA: $36,430/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $32,870 – $43,580 · about 660 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($39,165) by −$2,735 (-7%).
What it's really worth in Roanoke
With Roanoke's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $36,430 has the buying power of about $39,943 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $65,687 · median home $301,139 · median rent $1,403/mo.
How Roanoke ranks for this job
On raw pay, Roanoke, VA is 144th of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Roanoke's cost of living is applied, it ranks 117th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Roanoke is one of the places where medical assistants gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Roanoke
A median home in Roanoke, VA costs $301,139 — about 8.3× 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 $1,403/mo works out at 46% 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 Roanoke.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Roanoke | Rent vs Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +105% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +66% | 2.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +64% | 2.3× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +63% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in VA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Roanoke | Rent vs Roanoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | $39,610 | +9% | 1.3× |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $38,830 | +7% | 1.3× |
| Lynchburg, VA | $37,400 | +3% | 0.9× |
Staying in VA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Roanoke
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Carilion Clinic · Healthcare
- Roanoke City Schools · Education
- HCA Virginia Health Systems · Healthcare
Other jobs in Roanoke
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.