Medical Assistants salary in Asheville, NC
Median pay for medical assistants in Asheville, NC: $38,400/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $35,730 – $46,530 · about 1,470 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($39,165) by −$765 (-2%).
What it's really worth in Asheville
With Asheville's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $38,400 has the buying power of about $39,428 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $64,538 · median home $428,742 · median rent $1,708/mo.
How Asheville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Asheville, NC is 106th of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Asheville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 131st.
The headline number flatters Asheville. 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 Asheville
A median home in Asheville, NC costs $428,742 — about 11.2× 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 $1,708/mo works out at 53% 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 Asheville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Asheville | Rent vs Asheville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +95% | 1.4× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +58% | 2.1× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +56% | 1.9× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +55% | 1.3× |
Same job elsewhere in NC
| Metro | Median pay | vs Asheville | Rent vs Asheville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro, NC | $43,560 | +13% | 0.8× |
| Charlotte, NC | $43,230 | +13% | 1× |
| Durham, NC | $42,160 | +10% | 1× |
| Raleigh, NC | $40,570 | +6% | 1× |
Staying in NC keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Asheville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Mission Health Hospital · Healthcare
- Buncombe County Schools · Education
Other jobs in Asheville
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.