Salary for Medical Assistant in Mississippi - MS

In June of 2010, Mississippi had the highest rate of obesity in the country. According to Trust for America’s Health, women in Mississippi are 34.9% more apt to be obese than men; the state itself had a total obesity rate of 33.8%, while 21.9% of the children in Mississippi were considered overweight or obese. The epidemic of obesity and its health-related complications is just one of the aspects contributing to a higher demand for healthcare in Mississippi.

Currently, there are about 2,400 medical assistants employed in Mississippi, not nearly enough to meet the growing needs of a total population of 2,867,200.  According to the Health Career Center of Mississippi, employment opportunities for medical assistants are expected to grow by more than 36% through 2012. Medical assisting is expected to be the one of the fastest growing healthcare occupations over the next 10 years.

The average medical assistant salary in Mississippi is about $25,310, with an average hourly pay rate of $12.17. The growth of medical assisting is driven by an increasing number of clinical offices, practices, and other healthcare groups needing more assistance with patient care.

Estimated medical assistant pay rates in Mississippi:

• Jackson:  $26,280
• West Gulfport:  $24,000
• Gulfport:  $27,920
• Biloxi:  $27,920
• Hattiesburg:  $24,370

Salary figures are provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics