Medical Assistant Jobs in Sacramento, CA
Medical assistants in Sacramento start well above most of the state, because the big health systems here fall under California's health care worker minimum wage. Kaiser Permanente, UC Davis Health and Dignity Health all staff clinics across the metro. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get trained.
Current medical assistant Openings in Sacramento, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Assistant Work in Sacramento
Most medical assistant jobs in Sacramento sit in outpatient clinics run by four health systems, not in hospitals. UC Davis Health runs specialty clinics at the Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center on Y Street, the Midtown Ambulatory Care Center on Folsom Boulevard and UC Davis Medical Group offices in Folsom, Elk Grove and Rocklin. Kaiser Permanente hires for its medical offices in South Sacramento along the SR-99 corridor and adds seasonal vaccination clinic assistants in the fall.
Pay is the local story. Under California's health care worker minimum wage, covered facilities owned by systems with 10,000 or more full-time employees pay at least $25 an hour from July 2026, and most other covered facilities pay at least $23. That puts the floor for many Sacramento MA jobs well above the $16.90 state minimum, and current postings run from about $26 to $39 an hour.
Top Sacramento Employers Hiring Medical Assistants
These Sacramento employers hire medical assistants for primary care, specialty and pediatric clinics:
- Kaiser Permanente - hires medical assistants for its South Sacramento medical offices, including seasonal vaccination clinic roles.
- UC Davis Health - the academic medical center uses medical assistants across its ambulatory clinics in Oak Park, Midtown, Folsom, Elk Grove and Rocklin.
- Dignity Health Medical Foundation - the CommonSpirit medical group hires medical assistants for Sacramento specialty clinics such as obstetrics and gynecology.
- Shriners Children's Northern California - the pediatric specialty hospital hires certified medical assistants for its Sacramento outpatient clinics.
Medical Assistant Salaries in Sacramento
- Entry level: about $22 to $26 an hour, with large-system clinics starting at or above the $25 health care minimum.
- Experienced: roughly $27 to $33 an hour for MAs with a few years of clinic work.
- Senior / specialty: $34 to $39 an hour for lead, specialty and union-scale roles at the largest systems.
These are estimates built from federal wage data for the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom metro, where the median medical assistant earns about $29.79 an hour, and from current local postings. Employer type moves pay the most: Kaiser and other large systems pay near the top of the range, while small private practices not covered by the health care minimum pay less. Certification, bilingual skills and specialty experience add to the base.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Sacramento
California does not license medical assistants. The Medical Board of California sets the rules instead: you must be trained before giving injections, skin tests or drawing blood, and you work under a supervising physician or other licensed provider who is on site. You can be trained on the job or through an approved school program. Cosumnes River College, the Los Rios campus on Center Parkway in South Sacramento, runs a medical assisting program, and private schools in the city offer shorter certificates. National certification is not required by state law, but many employers ask for it, and Shriners lists it as a requirement.
What the Job Involves
Medical assistants room patients, take vital signs and histories, update the electronic health record, give injections and vaccines under a provider's order, collect specimens, prepare exam rooms and instruments, and assist with minor procedures. On the front end of the visit they may also check patients in, verify insurance and schedule follow-ups, which makes them the person patients see most in a clinic day.
Skills Employers Look For
- National medical assistant certification
- Current Basic Life Support (BLS) card
- Injection, vaccine and specimen collection skills
- Electronic health record experience
- Bilingual skills for Sacramento's diverse patient base
- Calm, organized patient flow on a busy schedule
Career Path and Advancement
Many Sacramento MAs start in primary care, move into a specialty clinic for higher pay, and then step up to lead medical assistant or clinic coordinator. Others use the job as a bridge into licensed nursing: Sacramento City College and American River College both run LVN-to-RN and registered nursing programs, and clinic experience at UC Davis Health or Kaiser counts heavily when you apply to nursing school or to a new-grad residency later.
Related Careers in Sacramento
If medical assisting interests you, these related Sacramento healthcare guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical assistant in California?
No. California does not license medical assistants, but the Medical Board of California requires training before you give injections, perform skin tests or draw blood. Many Sacramento employers also ask for national certification and a BLS card.
How much do medical assistants make in Sacramento?
The median is about $29.79 an hour in the Sacramento metro. Current postings from Kaiser, Dignity Health and Shriners run from about $26 to $39 an hour, and large health systems must pay at least $25 under California's health care worker minimum wage.
Does the health care minimum wage apply to medical assistants?
It applies to most workers at covered health care facilities, including medical assistants. From July 2026 the floor is $25 an hour at facilities owned by systems with 10,000 or more full-time employees and $23 at most other covered facilities. Small private offices may not be covered.
Where can I train to be a medical assistant in Sacramento?
Cosumnes River College in South Sacramento runs a medical assisting program through the Los Rios Community College District, and several private schools in the city offer shorter certificates. You can also be trained on the job under a supervising physician.
Can medical assistants work in Sacramento hospitals?
Mostly not on inpatient units. The Medical Board of California does not allow medical assistants to work in inpatient care at a licensed general acute care hospital, so most Sacramento MA jobs are in outpatient clinics and medical offices.
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