How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Hawaii?
When talking about a medical assistant’s salary in Hawaii for 2020, it is clear that BLS reported it to be about $19.05 per hour and $39,620 a year, as of March 31, 2020. Many similar salaries are reported by other top sources, like indeed.com, ziprecuiter.com, and salary.com, which are listed in the table below.
| Resource | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | Date Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLS | $19.05 | $39,620 | March 31, 2020 |
| Indeed | $16.05 | $37,379 | December 3, 2020 |
| ZipRecruiter | $26 | $53,412 | November 23, 2020 |
| Salary.com | $18 | $38,064 | November 25, 2020 |
Average Medical Assistant Salaries in Hawaii
The need for MAs is growing all over the country. However, in small places like HI, growth is much faster. The average salary of a medical assistant in Hawaii, as of June 23, 2020, was $16.18 per hour, which was the same as the national average, according to indeed.com.
The mean hourly and annual salary of a medical assistant in Hawaii, as of May 2019, was $19.05 and $39,620, respectively, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Percentile | Annual Salary (Hawaii) | Annual Salary (National) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $29,810 | $25,820 |
| 25% | $33,860 | $29,460 |
| 50% | $38,900 | $34,800 |
| 75% | $45,980 | $40,270 |
| 90% | $50,850 | $48,720 |
Source: BLS (as of May 2019)
The data found in the above table indicates that 90% of the MAs in the state make more than $50,000 per year, which is more than the national estimate at all percentiles. It means the salary of MAs in Hawaii is way higher than the national average.
Highest Paying Cities for Medical Assistants in HI
The table below states the salary of medical assistants in Hawaii’s different cities, as per the data outlined by indeed.com and salary.com.
| City | Per Hour Salary (indeed.com) | Per Hour Salary (salary.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Hilo, HI | $23.26 | $18 |
| Kahului, HI | $18.30 | $18 |
| Aiea, HI | $17.00 | $18 |
| Kailua-Kona, HI | $16.77 | $18 |
| Kailua, HI | $16.12 | $18 |
| Honolulu, HI | $16.06 | $18 |
| Waipahu, HI | $14.72 | $18 |
| Kaneohe, HI | $14.57 | $18 |
Source: indeed.com (as of December 3, 2020) and salary.com (as of November 25, 2020)
Hilo stood first in this list paying $23.26 to its medical assistants. It was followed by Kahului, Aiea, Kailua-Kona, Kailua, Honolulu, Kaneohe, and Waipahu, paying between $18.30 and $14.57 an hour, according to indeed.com.
If we look at the data of salary.com, it can be seen that the average hourly income of medical assistants in all the top cities of Hawaii is $18.
Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Hawaii Medical Assistants
An MA’s salary in Hawaii’s various metropolitan areas is given in the table below as per the data provided by BLS, the government source for wages and salaries information.
| Metropolitan Area | Mean Annual Wage | 10th Percentile Wage | 50th Percentile (Median) Wage | 90th Percentile Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | $39,340 | $31,440 | $38,090 | $50,920 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $39,140 | $29,350 | $38,280 | $50,700 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
The only two metropolitan areas of Hawaii have a very similar yearly income for medical assistants. Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina paid $36,340 a year on average, and Urban Honolulu paid about $39,140 to their medical assistants.
Top Cities/Areas with Highest Employment in HI
The following table shows Hawaii’s various metropolitan areas and the number of medical assistants employed there, according to data from BLS, as of March 31, 2020.
| Metropolitan Area | Number of Employed Medical Assistants |
|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 3,340 |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | 280 |
Source: BLS (as of March 31, 2020)
Urban Honolulu is Hawaii’s top employer, with the majority of medical assistants working there. This number of 3,340 is followed by Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, where only 280 medical assistants are employed at various medical institutes like hospitals, physician’s offices, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities.
Top 10 Paying Employers for Medical Assistants in Hawaii
Hawaii’s healthcare institutes that pay the most to their medical assistants are listed below with the hourly salary data provided by indeed.com.
| Employer | Per Hour Salary |
|---|---|
| The Polyclinic | $22.52 |
| Sutter Health | $21.89 |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center | $21.14 |
| NYU Langone Health | $20.97 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $19.28 |
| Multicare Health System | $18.50 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | $18.15 |
| Ali’i Health Center | $17.97 |
| Quest Diagnostics | $17.79 |
| Citizens | $17.68 |
| Scripps Health | $17.61 |
| Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience | $17.51 |
Source: indeed.com (as of December 3, 2020)
The Polyclinic topped the list of highest paying employers of healthcare assistants in Hawaii, followed by Sutter Health, paying about $22.52 an hour. Employers like NYU Langone Health, Kaiser Permanente, Virginia Mason Medical Center, and others in the top list paid between $17.51 and $21.14 an hour as per indeed.com, as of November 26, 2020.
Benefits for Hawaii Medical Assistants other than Salaries
A medical assistant’s pay in Hawaii comprises about 67.7% of their total compensation for any given year. Rest is a combination of benefits mentioned below. After adding the benefits of $18,200 a year to the salary of $38,109 annually (including a $45 bonus), the total remuneration comes to about $56,309, according to the information provided by salary.com, as of November 25, 2020.
-
Healthcare
The healthcare facilities for someone working in the same field are top-notch, with a contribution of $6,371 a year by the employers of medical assistants in Hawaii. It makes up 11.3% of the whole compensation.
-
Time Off
Time off enjoyed by medical assistants of Hawaii amounts to a monetary equivalent of $4,837 a year, which is about 8.6% of the total remuneration.
-
Social Security
The social security payments of a medical assistant will be contributed to by the employer in an amount of about $2,915 a year, which comes to about 5.2% of the total compensation.
-
401K/403B
It is a fund that makes retirement a bit easier on medical assistants of Hawaii. Employers contribute about $1,867 a year, comprising 3.3% of a year’s remuneration.
-
Pension
A retired professional’s life becomes a bit less tough with this fund’s help, making up about 2.8% of the total compensation with a contribution of about $1,601 per year.
-
Disability
The disability fund helps a professional in an unfortunate incident causing disability. It gets about $610 every year from your employer, making up 1.1% of your total yearly compensation.
Salaries of Similar Professions in Hawaii
A medical assistant’s scope of practice is similar to the professions mentioned below, which can also be your way to enter the healthcare industry in Hawaii.
| Related Professions | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|
| Medical Scribe | $16.52 |
| Back Office Medical Assistant | $16.09 |
| Medical Receptionist | $14.80 |
| Medical Office Assistant | $14.75 |
| Clinical Assistant | $14.06 |
Source: indeed.com (as of December 3, 2020)
There are many similar professions to medical assistance that you can go for in the healthcare industry, and the one that pays the highest is Medical Scribe, with an average hourly wage of $16.52. Other professions like Back Office Medical Assistant, Medical Receptionist, Medical Office Assistant and Clinical Assistant are paid between $16.09 and $14.06 hourly, as per indeed.com’s data.
| Related Professions | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Physician Assistant- Specialty | $123,726 |
| Physician Assistant- Medical | $113,939 |
| Medical Billing Specialist | $44,021 |
| Medical Secretary | $43,630 |
| Medical Librarian Assistant | $39,772 |
| Medical Scribe | $36,570 |
Source: salary.com (as of November 25, 2020)
Salary.com reported that Physician Assistants (Medical and Specialty) are similar to medical assistants with a stupendously high income of $123,726 and $113,939 a year. This gap is because of the kind of education they receive and the time it takes, which is much more than medical assistants. Other professionals like Medical Billing Specialists, Medical Secretaries, Medical Scribes, etc., earned between $36,000-$44,000 a year, on average.
Projected Employment and Hiring Trends for HI Medical Assistants (2018-2028)
Job Outlook
Do certified medical assistants make more in Hawaii after an accredited program and one of the nationally recognized MA certifications? Well, the answer is – not only do they earn better salaries, but they also get jobs easier and make a better career for themselves after being certified.
The following table makes it clear that the 18.9% growth rate of medical assistant jobs in Hawaii between 2018-2028 is another reason why you should look into this career option. Due to an average of 510 jobs created every year, the employment was projected to reach 4,340 from 3,650, which is a considerable number for such a small state.
| Estimated Employment and Projected Growth (Medical Assistants) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Projected Area | Base Year Employment
(2018) |
Projected Employment
(2028) |
Numeric Change | Percentage Change | Annual Job Openings |
|
Hawaii |
3,650 | 4,340 | 690 | +18.9% | 510 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored resource, Projections Central (2018-2028 report)
Hiring Trends
- Hawaii’s healthcare sector is projected to add 11,700 new jobs by 2029, making the number jump from 73,800 in 2019 to 85,500 in 2029, according to civilbeat.org.
- Medical assistance was the 8th fastest-growing profession in Hawaii, with 3,160 jobs in 2016, projected to reach 4,030 by 2026, growing at a rate of 28%, according to Career One Stop.
- It also stated that medical assistance was the 50th highest employer of workers in Hawaii, with 3,160 professionals working in 2016. It was also 42nd in the list of careers adding most jobs annually between 2016-2026, with 470 jobs added every year.
- Medical assistants were in the top 40 most popular Hawaii careers as of March 31, 2019, according to USA Wage. It stood at the 34th spot with 4,340 professionals, making up 0.68% of the state’s total workforce, getting about $38,900 a year.
- Zippia’s list of fastest-growing careers in Hawaii put medical assistants on 23rd rank with 11% growth, earning $33,890 a year. They were projected to have 3,230 jobs by 2024.
Written by : Casey Gardner
Casey Gardner is both a healthcare support professional and an accomplished content creator. She has been working as a certified health care professional with marketable skills as a physician assistant, and a qualified medical assistant for last two decades. She has dedicated her nursing career to produce over hundreds of content pieces since 2001, and her work has been published both online as well as offline.
