Medical Assistant Salary in Iowa and How to increase It

The medical assistant salary in Iowa is $45,485 annually.

The top paying cities are Burlington, Clinton, and Johnston while companies that pay the most in this State are BayCare Health System, Adventist Health, and MultiCare Health System.

This post also covers the benefits for medical assistants in Iowa, salaries of other related careers, and ideas on how to increase one’s salary as a medical assistant in Iowa.

Medical Assistants Salary in Iowa Cities

Here is salary information for medical assistants across cities in Iowa:

	City	Salary Hourly	Salary Yearly
1.	Des Moines	$18.55	$43,182
2.	Cedar Rapids	$20.25	$47,157
3.	Davenport	$16.71	$38,914
4.	Sioux City	$20.48	$47,673
5.	Iowa City	$22.16	$51,592
6.	Waterloo	$23.91	$55,669
7.	West Des Moines	$24.78	$57,692
8.	Ankeny	$18.04	$42,009
9.	Ames	$21.54	$50,150
10.	Council Bluffs	$17.71	$41,233
11.	Dubuque	$18.24	$42,466
12.	Urbandale	$18.81	$43,784
13.	Marion	$22.97	$53,489
14.	Cedar Falls	$23.74	$55,268
15.	Bettendorf	$16.25	$37,840
16.	Marshalltown	$22.36	$52,065
17.	Mason City	$19.40	$45,164
18.	Ottumwa	$12.96	$30,179
19.	Fort Dodge	$17.59	$40,958
20.	Clinton	$33.39	$77,735
21.	Burlington	$42.17	$98,181
22.	Muscatine	$19.50	$45,394
23.	Waukee	$16.45	$38,293
24.	Johnston	$29.44	$68,539
25.	Coralville	$21.10	$49,115
26.	North Liberty	$17.02	$39,636
27.	Altoona	$17.54	$40,844
28.	Clive	$19.92	$46,385
29.	Newton	$14.49	$33,743
30.	Indianola	$17.57	$40,911

Cities with Highest Medical Assistant Salary in Iowa

The top 10 paying cities for medical assistants in Iowa include:

	City	Salary Hourly	Salary Yearly
1.	Burlington	$42.17	$98,181
2.	Clinton	$33.39	$77,735
3.	Johnston	$29.44	$68,539
4.	West Des Moines	$24.78	$57,692
5.	Waterloo	$23.91	$55,669
6.	Cedar Falls	$23.74	$55,268
7.	Marion	$22.97	$53,489
8.	Marshalltown	$22.36	$52,065
9.	Iowa City	$22.16	$51,592
10.	Ames	$21.54	$50,150

Skill-based Medical Assistant Salary in Iowa

Some of the skills that influence the salaries of medical assistants in Iowa are:

• Epic; +9.16%
• Data Collection; +7.55%
• Dissection; +37.07%
• Clinical Trials; +12.33%
• Family Planning; +47.19%.

Experience-based Medical Assistant Salary in Iowa

Experience is also a factor that affects medical assistants’ salary in Iowa.

A medical assistant in Iowa with less than one year of experience makes $42,528 while those with 10 or more years of experience make a median salary of $53,630.

10 Companies with Highest Medical Assistant Salary in Iowa

The top 10 paying companies for medical assistants in Iowa include:

	Company	Hourly Salary	Annual Salary
1.	BayCare Health System	$25.56	$59,516
2.	Adventist Health	$24.37	$56,741
3.	MultiCare Health System	$24.07	$56,050
4.	Seattle Pain Relief	$23.64	$55,042
5.	Family Health Centers of San Diego	$23.22	$54,067
6.	UCHealth	$23.07	$53,705
7.	Primary Health Care, Inc.	$23.05	$53,660
8.	TotalWellness	$22.60	$52,612
9.	Comcentric	$22.50	$52,386
10.	Kaiser Permanente	$22.43	$52,219

10 Highest Paying Medical Assistant Jobs in Iowa

Here are top paying medical assistant jobs in Iowa:

1. Cardiology medical assistant; $33,183
2. Hospital medical assistant; $40,178
3. Lead medical assistant; $39,322
4. Medical assistant/phlebotomist; $33,000
5. Certified medical assistant; $50,603
6. Medical office assistant; $38,148
7. Medical administrative assistant; $38,484
8. Medical assistant intern; $27,935
9. Travel medical assistant; $52,886
10. Medical assistant instructor; $46,802.

More Benefits for Medical Assistants in Iowa

Here are some of the benefits you can receive as a medical assistant in Iowa:

1. PTO

PTO in full means “paid time off.” It’s a benefit that allows you to take a certain number of days off every year.

You are paid for those days, even if you have a vacation day or sick day.

2. Life and disability insurance

Another benefit that is quite common is life and disability insurance. Your employer could even contribute to the cost of your coverage.

Once you pay the premiums, you would receive a paycheck to cover that amount.

If an accident or illness happened and you were unable to work, it would pay out the benefits stated in your policy.

In the event that you pass away or are disabled, life and disability insurance will help your family financially.

3. Referral bonuses

Some companies will give you a bonus when you refer someone to the company who gets hired.

This is a win-win for everyone involved.

4. 401(k) plan and loans

Some companies offer 401(k) plans which allow you to invest in retirement savings.

You can also borrow up to $50,000 from these 401(k) plans which are very beneficial in certain situations.

What Related Job Titles to Medical Assistant Earn in Iowa

Here are earnings of related job titles to medical assistants in Iowa:

• Patient Care Technician; $45,696
• Medical Scribe; $31,155
• Care Coordinator; $34,372
• Medical Receptionist; $36,931
• Phlebotomist; $46,952.

Medical Assistant Salary and Job Outlook in Iowa

The state of Iowa records a favorable job growth at 26.92%.

Projections by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics show an increase of medical assistant jobs in Iowa from 4,420 (2016) to 5,610 (2026).

Medical assistant jobs added every year in Iowa is about 650.

How to increase your Pay as a Medical Assistant in Iowa

Here are steps you can take to increase your pay as a medical assistant in Iowa:

1. Be willing to work overtime when needed for good rates

Working overtime is always an option if you aren’t making enough money as a medical assistant in Iowa.

If you are working in a small business or with the government, there could be many instances when they will ask you to work extra hours.

Working overtime is good because your employer will pay you more than your normal rate.

2. Become more marketable by getting additional certifications and skills

There are many ways to become more marketable as a medical assistant in Iowa like getting certified and becoming licensed in every state you work in.

Getting advanced skills can improve your demand in the job market as well.

3. Get certified with a specialty such as Phlebotomy

Many companies in Iowa offer specialized certifications for medical assistants.

These certifications allow you to work under a doctor during their exams, procedures, and surgeries and they pay substantially more than the average medical assistant salary.

4. Get extra education to get a higher salary

You can get additional education every year to improve your skills and knowledge about the job field as well.

You can also go to school part time if necessary.

More Career Opportunities for Medical Assistant in Iowa

Here are additional career opportunities medical assistants can explore in Iowa:

1. Medical coding

Medical coding is a big part of the medical field. It involves classifying the patient’s diagnosis and procedures into codes that are used for insurance purposes and billing the correct amounts to them.

2. Phlebotomist

A phlebotomist is a medical technician that draws blood from patients at a doctor’s office or laboratory.

They are responsible for preparing the patient for drawing their blood and collecting it.

They can also educate the patient on how often they should get their blood drawn out as well.

3. Medical receptionist

A medical receptionist is responsible for greeting patients and visitors, making appointments, scheduling tests, sending bills, and ensuring appropriate follow-up care is obtained.

4. Medical sales representative

As a medical sales representative, you would be responsible for selling products and services to health care facilities like hospitals and clinics.

You would market and sell those products to them.

Conclusion

A medical assistant is an entry level position that requires a great deal of attention and care to make sure that the patient is treated properly.

The salary for medical assistants in Iowa seems to be fair for the job and is a good opportunity for those who have little experience with this type of work.

Information sources: salary.com, indeed.com, ziprecruiter.com, zippia.com, and bls.gov.