Medical Assistants salary in Cleveland, OH
Median pay for medical assistants in Cleveland, OH: $38,960/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $30,290 – $48,150 · about 3,570 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($39,165) by −$205 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Cleveland
With Cleveland's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $38,960 has the buying power of about $42,626 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $66,481 · median home $252,210 · median rent $1,461/mo.
How Cleveland ranks for this job
On raw pay, Cleveland, OH is 98th of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Cleveland's cost of living is applied, it ranks 60th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Cleveland 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 Cleveland
A median home in Cleveland, OH costs $252,210 — about 6.5× 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 $1,461/mo works out at 45% 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 Cleveland.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cleveland | Rent vs Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +92% | 1.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +55% | 2.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +53% | 2.2× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +53% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in OH
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cleveland | Rent vs Cleveland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH | $39,860 | +2% | 1.1× |
| Columbus, OH | $39,170 | +1% | 1× |
| Akron, OH | $38,040 | −2% | 0.9× |
| Toledo, OH | $38,000 | −2% | 0.9× |
Staying in OH keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Cleveland
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Cleveland Clinic · Healthcare
- University Hospitals · Healthcare
- Cleveland State University · Education
- MetroHealth · Healthcare
Other jobs in Cleveland
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.