Medical Assistant jobs in Chicago, IL

Open Medical Assistant roles in Chicago

More open Medical Assistant roles in Chicago

16 more open roles from employers in Chicago. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.

All Medical Assistant jobs in Illinois

Who is hiring medical assistants near Chicago

Medical Assistant pay in Chicago, IL

The metro median is 3% above the Illinois statewide median of $21.87 per hour. Nationally the median is $21.25 per hour. BLS counts about 18,130 medical assistants employed in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area, 4.1 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 0.79).

How Chicago ranks

• 66th of 380 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
• 108th of 339 after adjusting for local prices
• 1st of 7 Illinois 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 Chicago

• Overall prices in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin run 4% above the U.S. average (index 103.6, U.S. = 100).
• Housing is the biggest driver: 12% above the U.S. average (index 112.0).
• Adjusted for local prices, a $22.47 median hour buys what $21.69 buys at the national price level, 2% 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 Chicago paycheck

Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.

Travel assignment per diem in Chicago

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 Chicago

CMS lists 33 hospitals in Chicago, 6 of the 22 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of medical assistants.

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

Primary care shortage areas in Cook County

HRSA lists 73 active primary care shortage designations that include Cook County (5 geographic, 37 population-group, 31 facility). The highest-scoring one rates 21 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

Medical Assistant jobs in Illinois · Medical Assistant jobs nationwide

License and tax basics in Illinois

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

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

Illinois state guide

Other healthcare roles in Chicago

• Radiologic Technologist$39/hr
• CT Technologist$39/hr
• Respiratory Therapist$40/hr
• Surgical Technologist$32/hr
• Physical Therapist$50/hr
• Occupational Therapist$49/hr
• Speech-Language Pathologist$40/hr
• MRI Technologist$47/hr
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$48/hr
• Echocardiography Technologist$38/hr