Medical assistant pay rose 4.3% in 2025 and 20.6% over five years, according to MGMA's 2026 DataDive Management and Staff Compensation Data Report. Across 18 core practice roles, median total compensation rose in 8 and fell in 10 last year.
The report draws on data from more than 215,300 health care professionals in more than 4,100 groups. Physicians Practice summarized it on June 29, 2026. All figures below are median total compensation changes unless the text says otherwise. The report covers practice staff, not physicians, so it fits a manager who sets raise budgets for front desk, billing, and nursing roles.
What the 2026 report found across 18 roles
MGMA tracks 18 core roles in medical practices. Pay rose for 8 of them in 2025 (44.4%) and fell for the other 10 (55.6%). The 2025 change is small in most roles, so the five-year view tells practice managers more about where the market sits today.
Over the past five years, pay climbed in 17 of the 18 roles. One role did not gain. The two views point in different directions: 10 of 18 roles lost ground in 2025, yet 17 of 18 gained over five years.
MGMA also adjusted the five-year gains for cost of living. Medical receptionists, medical assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and registered nurses still came out ahead after the adjustment. Patient accounting staff and triage nurses landed slightly behind.
One-year pay change in 2025, by role
LPNs had the largest one-year gain at 6.5%. General accounting positions followed at 5.7%, medical receptionists at 4.8%, and medical assistants at 4.3%. The gap between the top and bottom of that list is 2.2 percentage points.
Two administrative roles went the other way. Managed care administrative positions fell 12.1% in 2025, and patient accounting fell 2.9%. MGMA describes both roles as still well above their five-year and ten-year levels, so the 2025 drop follows earlier gains. The 12.1% drop in managed care is 9.2 points larger than the 2.9% drop in patient accounting.
| Role | Change in median total pay, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Licensed practical nurses | +6.5% |
| General accounting | +5.7% |
| Medical receptionists | +4.8% |
| Medical assistants | +4.3% |
| Patient accounting | -2.9% |
| Managed care administrative | -12.1% |
Source: MGMA 2026 DataDive Management and Staff Compensation Data Report, as reported by Physicians Practice, June 29, 2026. Base: median total compensation, more than 4,100 groups.
Five-year pay change and what it means per year
LPNs gained 29.7% over five years. Medical receptionists gained 22.0%, medical assistants 20.6%, and triage nurses 15.3%. The spread between LPNs and triage nurses is 14.4 percentage points.
The table adds an annual rate. These are our own calculations from MGMA's five-year totals, using compound growth over five years. They are not MGMA figures.
| Role | Five-year change | Annual rate (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed practical nurses | +29.7% | 5.3% |
| Medical receptionists | +22.0% | 4.1% |
| Medical assistants | +20.6% | 3.8% |
| Triage nurses | +15.3% | 2.9% |
Source: MGMA 2026 DataDive Management and Staff Compensation Data Report, as reported by Physicians Practice, June 29, 2026. Annual rate: (1 + five-year change) to the power of 0.2, minus 1.
The one-year gains in 2025 ran above the five-year annual pace for three of these roles. LPNs gained 6.5% in 2025 against 5.3% a year over five years, a gap of 1.2 points. Medical receptionists gained 4.8% against 4.1%, a gap of 0.7 points. Medical assistants gained 4.3% against 3.8%, a gap of 0.5 points.
A simple example shows the dollars. A medical assistant paid $40,000 five years ago would now earn $48,240 at the 20.6% median change. The 4.3% gain in 2025 alone is $1,720 on a $40,000 wage. This is arithmetic on MGMA's percentages, not a figure from the report.
Medical assistants grew 3.8% a year over five years. The 2025 gain of 4.3% sits slightly above that pace. Triage nurses, at 2.9% a year, are the role that fell behind once MGMA adjusted for cost of living.
Hiring pressure and budget plans
Hiring a medical assistant grew more difficult over the past year for 56% of practices, MGMA reports. Pay for the role rose 4.3% in 2025, and a majority of practices still found filling it harder.
MGMA also asked where practices plan to invest in 2026. Workforce was the biggest new investment for 37% of groups, ahead of health IT at 30%. For cost cutting, automation made up 36% of planned moves and process fixes 23%, which together are 59% of the total and leave 41% for other moves. Workforce and health IT together account for 67% of the biggest new investments named.
A June 2026 MGMA Stat poll asked about AI and staffing. 68% of leaders had not yet redesigned a role or adjusted staffing with the help of AI, while 26% had.
Pay differences inside the same role
Role averages hide wide gaps by region and by experience. Registered nurse pay varied by $22,947 between the West and the Midwest. Triage nurse pay varied by $19,448 between the South and the East.
Experience adds little in nursing. The 2025 median for nursing positions with 21 or more years of experience was only $298 higher than the median for those with five or fewer years.
A manager can use these figures in two steps. Compare each role's current pay with the five-year change in the table, and check the regional gap for the nursing roles. Then set the raise budget for each role, not one rate for all staff.
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