Medical Assistant vs CNA Pay Overview
Medical assistants earned a median annual wage of $38,270 in May 2023, with the lowest 10 percent earning around $30,600 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $51,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS occupational outlook. Certified nursing assistants earned a median annual wage of $35,760 in May 2023, with the lowest 10 percent earning around $25,000 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $47,000 BLS nursing assistant data. Both roles show pay concentrated in ambulatory healthcare settings, hospitals, and nursing care facilities.
In hourly terms, medical assistants averaged roughly $18.40 per hour, while CNAs averaged roughly $17.19 per hour based on the same May 2023 federal data. Starting pay for new graduates typically falls below these medians, with medical assistants often starting near $16 to $18 per hour and CNAs near $15 to $17 per hour depending on region and facility type. Pay differences are shaped by certification requirements, state minimum wage laws, and employer type.
Top Employers and Pay by Setting
Hospitals, Outpatient Clinics, and Nursing Homes
Hospitals remain the largest employers for both medical assistants and CNAs, with median pay slightly above the overall average for each role. Outpatient care centers, including urgent care chains such as CityMD and MinuteClinic within CVS Health, often pay medical assistants at the higher end of the range, with some metropolitan clinics offering $20 to $22 per hour for certified candidates. Nursing care facilities, including chains such as Brookdale Senior Living and Emeritus Senior Living, employ large numbers of CNAs and often structure pay around shift differentials, with evening and night shifts adding $1 to $3 per hour.
Home health and personal care services, including companies such as Amedisys and LHC Group, employ many CNAs and home health aides, with median pay near the overall CNA range but variable by caseload and travel distance. Physician offices and specialty clinics, such as those affiliated with Mayo Clinic Health System and Cleveland Clinic, typically offer structured pay scales for medical assistants tied to certification and experience, with starting pay often above the national median in high-cost metro areas.
Certification, Training, and Pay Impact
Medical Assistant Credentials
Medical assistants can pursue certification through the American Association of Medical Assistants (CMA) and the American Medical Technologists (RMA), with CMA-certified workers often earning a median pay premium of roughly 10 to 15 percent over non-certified peers in many metropolitan job postings. Most medical assistant programs take about one year to complete and include clinical externships, with graduates entering roles that combine administrative and clinical duties in physician offices, hospitals, and outpatient clinics.
Certified Nursing Assistant credentials are state-specific, requiring completion of a state-approved training program and passing a competency evaluation, with many CNAs pursuing additional certifications in wound care, dementia care, or IV assistance to increase pay. CNAs working in hospitals, particularly within large health systems such as Kaiser Permanente and HCA Healthcare, often earn more than those in nursing homes due to higher demand, shift premiums, and union representation, with some facilities offering sign-on bonuses of $1,000 to $3,000 for qualified candidates.