Where medical assistants keep the most after rent
20 large metros ranked by how much of a median medical assistant's take-home pay goes to a one-bedroom at HUD Fair Market Rent. BLS occupation code 31-9092; national median $45,690.
Minneapolis–St. Paul comes out on top. Median pay of $52,570 against a $1,427 one-bedroom leaves $2,275 a month after rent. At the bottom is New York, where rent takes 80% of take-home pay. The highest-paying metro, Seattle ($61,500), ranks 9 of 20 once rent is counted.
1-bedroom rent as a share of take-home pay
Full table
| # | Metro | Median pay | vs. U.S. | 1BR rent | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left / mo | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis–St. Paul | $52,570 | +15% | $1,427 | 56.4 h | 39% | $2,275 | 7,390 |
| 2 | Detroit | $39,410 | −14% | $1,167 | 61.6 h | 41% | $1,653 | 12,400 |
| 3 | Houston | $42,110 | −8% | $1,261 | 62.3 h | 42% | $1,740 | 18,280 |
| 4 | Phoenix | $46,830 | +3% | $1,493 | 66.3 h | 45% | $1,824 | 15,410 |
| 5 | Philadelphia | $45,890 | +0% | $1,558 | 70.6 h | 48% | $1,696 | 13,150 |
| 6 | Baltimore | $46,790 | +2% | $1,625 | 72.2 h | 49% | $1,690 | 8,170 |
| 7 | Atlanta | $46,060 | +1% | $1,619 | 73.1 h | 50% | $1,647 | 16,910 |
| 8 | Dallas–Fort Worth | $43,100 | −6% | $1,536 | 74.1 h | 50% | $1,532 | 20,560 |
| 9 | Seattle | $61,500 | +35% | $2,180 | 73.7 h | 51% | $2,120 | 10,210 |
| 10 | Riverside–San Bernardino | $46,700 | +2% | $1,705 | 75.9 h | 52% | $1,604 | 11,280 |
| 11 | Tampa | $44,480 | −3% | $1,648 | 77.0 h | 52% | $1,512 | 9,310 |
| 12 | Denver | $49,700 | +9% | $1,831 | 76.6 h | 52% | $1,678 | 6,440 |
| 13 | Chicago | $47,270 | +3% | $1,780 | 78.3 h | 53% | $1,567 | 15,640 |
| 14 | San Francisco | $59,790 | +31% | $2,290 | 79.7 h | 55% | $1,895 | 14,320 |
| 15 | Miami | $44,930 | −2% | $2,121 | 98.2 h | 66% | $1,069 | 18,670 |
| 16 | Washington, DC | $46,640 | +2% | $2,204 | 98.3 h | 67% | $1,101 | 13,890 |
| 17 | San Diego | $49,420 | +8% | $2,335 | 98.3 h | 67% | $1,156 | 9,370 |
| 18 | Boston | $50,740 | +11% | $2,518 | 103.2 h | 70% | $1,061 | 10,750 |
| 19 | Los Angeles | $47,760 | +5% | $2,402 | 104.6 h | 71% | $978 | 39,770 |
| 20 | New York | $48,370 | +6% | $2,729 | 117.3 h | 80% | $691 | 44,060 |
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25nat.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.