CA · San Jose · Updated October 15, 2026

Medical Assistant jobs in San Jose, CA

Medical Assistants in the San Jose area earn a median of $29.95 per hour, about $62,290 a year, and the middle half of them earn between $23.99 and $36.45. That ranks 4th of 380 U.S. metro areas for medical assistant pay, and 4th of 339 once local prices are factored in. 2 open roles with published pay are listed for San Jose and its metro area. Your free pay report adds named employers and the roles open near San Jose.

Open Medical Assistant roles near San Jose

Roles in other cities of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area.

PermanentPosted 3 days ago

Medical Assistant

Premise Health · Sunnyvale, CA

$25.60–$32.00/ hour
  • Full Time Regular
  • Req 101871604800
New this week
View role

More open Medical Assistant roles in San Jose

4 more open roles from employers in San Jose. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.

Get the San Jose Medical Assistant pay report

Named employers near San Jose, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.

Get my free pay report

Who is hiring medical assistants near San Jose

EmployerRolesMedian pay / hour
Premise Health1$28.80
El Camino Health1$43.58

Medical Assistant pay in San Jose, CA

The metro median is 30% above the California statewide median of $23.10 per hour. Nationally the median is $21.25 per hour. BLS counts about 6,060 medical assistants employed in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area, 5.3 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is about as concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 1.04).

LevelPer hourPer yearCompared with U.S.
Lowest 10%$22.53$46,8606% above U.S. median
Lower quartile$23.99$49,90013% above U.S. median
Median$29.95$62,29041% above U.S. median
Upper quartile$36.45$75,82072% above U.S. median
Top 10%$37.18$77,33075% above U.S. median

How San Jose ranks

  • 4th of 380 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
  • 4th of 339 after adjusting for local prices
  • 4th of 24 California metro areas

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Medical Assistants (SOC 31-9092), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.

What your pay buys in San Jose

  • Overall prices in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara run 10% above the U.S. average (index 110.4, U.S. = 100).
  • Housing is the biggest driver: 112% above the U.S. average (index 211.9).
  • Adjusted for local prices, a $29.95 median hour buys what $27.12 buys at the national price level, 28% above the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.

Estimate your San Jose paycheck

Estimated weekly gross$1,078
  • Per year: $53,910
  • Per month: $4,492

Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.

Travel assignment per diem in San Jose

ItemFederal rate
Lodging per night$192
Meals and incidentals per day$92
Per week (7 nights, 7 days)$1,988
13-week assignment$25,844

Travel medical assistant assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).

Hospitals in San Jose

CMS lists 4 hospitals in San Jose, 0 of the 3 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of medical assistants.

HospitalTypeOwnershipCMS ratingEmergency
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Jose
San Jose, CA
Acute careNonprofit3 of 5Yes
Good Samaritan Hospital
San Jose, CA
Acute careFor-profit2 of 5Yes
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
San Jose, CA
Acute careGovernment and federal2 of 5Yes
San Jose Behavioral Health
San Jose, CA
PsychiatricFor-profitNot ratedNo

Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.

Primary care shortage areas in Santa Clara County

HRSA lists 13 active primary care shortage designations that include Santa Clara County (13 facility). The highest-scoring one rates 16 on a 0 to 25 scale, where a higher score means a greater shortage.

Shortage areas are where demand for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians is greatest. Federal loan repayment programs such as the NHSC and Nurse Corps cover some clinicians who work at eligible shortage-area sites. Eligibility is set by each program and by the site, so ask your recruiter before you plan around it.

Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas data warehouse, designated areas only. A designation can cover part of a county.

Medical Assistant pay in nearby cities

CityDistanceMedian payPopulation
Santa Clara, CA10 mi$29.95/hr133,132
Milpitas, CA10 mi$29.95/hr79,746
Fremont, CA15 mi$28.80/hr228,192
Union City, CA24 mi$28.80/hr66,196
Santa Cruz, CA25 mi$23.59/hr62,581
Watsonville, CA26 mi$23.59/hr51,320

Medical Assistant jobs in California · Medical Assistant jobs nationwide

License and tax basics in California

Medical assistant program or equivalent experience. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.

California taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.

California state guide

Other healthcare roles in San Jose

San Jose city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing

Common questions

How much do medical assistants make in San Jose, CA?

Medical Assistants in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area have a median pay of $29.95 per hour, about $62,290 a year. The middle half earn between $23.99 and $36.45 per hour (BLS, May 2024).

Is San Jose a good place for medical assistants once cost of living is counted?

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranks 4th of 339 metro areas for medical assistant pay after adjusting for local prices, and 4th of 380 before adjusting. Overall prices run 10% above the U.S. average.

Who is hiring medical assistants in San Jose?

We list 2 open roles with published pay from 2 employers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area. Your free report adds named employers and pay near San Jose.

Do I need a California license to work in San Jose as a medical assistant?

Medical assistant program or equivalent experience. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.

Is San Jose in a shortage area?

HRSA lists 13 active primary care shortage designations that include Santa Clara County. Shortage areas often have more openings, and some loan repayment programs cover clinicians who work at eligible sites.

What is the per diem for a travel assignment in San Jose?

The federal per diem benchmark in San Jose is $192 a night for lodging and $92 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,988 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.

Does Valorem Health place medical assistants in San Jose?

Yes. We place healthcare staff in San Jose and across California. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near San Jose.

Free for every candidate

What do employers near San Jose pay medical assistants? Get the report.

Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.

  1. 1
    Pay for your role at other hospitals

    The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.

  2. 2
    What they are offering now

    The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.

  3. 3
    Roles open for you right now

    Every current opening near you with pay, shift and start date. Reply with one click.

Get your free pay report

510+ Medical Assistant roles in California, sent free by email

Tell us who you are and what you do. We email the report within 24 hours on business days.

Please enter your first name.
Please enter your last name.
That email doesn't look quite right.
Please choose your role.
Please enter your city or ZIP.

Free for candidates. No phone number, no cold calls. One-click unsubscribe.

The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval: Health Care Staffing Services Certification, since 2022American Staffing Association memberNATHO member: National Association of Travel Healthcare OrganizationsNALTO member: National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations

Pay report · Medical Assistant near San Jose, CA
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]

Your Medical Assistant pay reportSan Jose, CA · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026

1Pay for your role at other hospitals

  • Shriners Hospitals for ChildrenSacramento, CA · 2 postings$33.62/ hr$28–$39
  • Sharp HealthCareSan Diego, CA · 11 postings$31.60/ hr$26–$37
  • Sharp HealthcareSan Diego, CA · 4 postings$31.60/ hr$26–$34
  • CommonSpirit HealthSan Luis Obispo, CA · 19 postings$31.44/ hr$25–$43

Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.

2What they are offering now

Low$24Median$29.61High$36

86 Medical Assistant postings with published pay in California, 80 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.

3Open now: 86 Medical Assistant roles

  1. Medical AssistantPermanent
    $26.06–$36.81/ hour
    CommonSpirit Health · San Luis Obispo, CA · posted today
  2. Medical AssistantPermanent
    $23.84–$35.76/ hour
    Kaweah Delta Health Care District · Visalia, CA · posted today

+ 84 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.

I'm interestedOne click. A recruiter writes only after you reply.
Check my pay