Medical Assistants salary in Memphis, TN
Median pay for medical assistants in Memphis, TN: $37,550/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $31,730 – $45,920 · about 3,610 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($39,165) by −$1,615 (-4%).
What it's really worth in Memphis
With Memphis's cost of living at 92 (US=100), that $37,550 has the buying power of about $40,839 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $62,178 · median home $247,229 · median rent $1,441/mo.
How Memphis ranks for this job
On raw pay, Memphis, TN is 124th of the 186 metros we hold medical assistants wages for. Once Memphis's cost of living is applied, it ranks 101st.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Memphis 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 Memphis
A median home in Memphis, TN costs $247,229 — about 6.6× 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 $1,441/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 Memphis.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Memphis | Rent vs Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $74,750 | +99% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $60,500 | +61% | 2.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,770 | +59% | 2.3× |
| Sacramento, CA | $59,520 | +59% | 1.6× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Memphis | Rent vs Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | $39,760 | +6% | 1.2× |
| Knoxville, TN | $37,230 | −1% | 1.2× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $37,150 | −1% | 1.1× |
| Kingsport, TN | $36,050 | −4% | 0.9× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires medical assistants around Memphis
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Shelby County Schools · Education
- Methodist Le Bonheur · Healthcare
- Baptist Memorial · Healthcare
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · Healthcare
Other jobs in Memphis
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.