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Average Medical Assistant Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A medical assistant in United Kingdom earns about 39,800 GBP a year. That's 43% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 16,300 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 61,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a medical assistant make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
39,800 GBP
3,316 GBP per month
Lowest reported
16,300 GBP
1,358 GBP per month
Highest reported
61,700 GBP
5,141 GBP per month

A typical medical assistant working in United Kingdom brings home around 3,316 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 16,300 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 61,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior medical assistant working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the medical assistant salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How medical assistant pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all medical assistants in United Kingdom earn less than 42,800 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 28,800 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 58,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of medical assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 16,300 GBP. The highest stretch to 61,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

16,300
Low
42,800
Median
61,700
High
28,800
25th
58,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Medical assistant pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a medical assistant in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical medical assistant salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    19,300 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +34% from previous
    25,800 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +63% from previous
    42,000 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +19% from previous
    49,800 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    55,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    59,700 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 63%. That is the point at which a medical assistant typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Medical assistant pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving medical assistant pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average medical assistant salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    23,300 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +93% from previous
    45,000 GBP

Medical assistant gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male medical assistants in United Kingdom earn an average of 39,000 GBP a year, while female medical assistants earn around 36,800 GBP. That works out to a 6% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Medical Assistant gender pay gap

6%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 39,000 GBP
Women 36,800 GBP

Pay raises for a medical assistant in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 13 months, which works out to roughly 11% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Medical assistant bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

60%

60% of medical assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a medical assistant a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 40% of medical assistants reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Medical assistant: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Medical assistant salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Medical assistant pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Liverpool
  • Leeds
  • Leicester
  • Cardiff
  • Sheffield
  • Somerset
  • Bristol
  • Birmingham
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion69,600 GBP76,600 GBP30,700-112,700 GBP
ScotlandRegion52,300 GBP50,100 GBP29,000-84,200 GBP
LiverpoolCity45,200 GBP45,600 GBP23,200-68,900 GBP
LeedsCity44,900 GBP42,700 GBP20,000-67,300 GBP
LeicesterCity44,300 GBP47,600 GBP18,600-69,200 GBP
CardiffCity43,500 GBP43,500 GBP21,400-66,400 GBP
SheffieldCity43,500 GBP45,300 GBP20,000-68,200 GBP
SomersetCity43,400 GBP45,200 GBP23,000-65,800 GBP
BristolCity43,200 GBP45,700 GBP17,800-66,100 GBP
BirminghamCity43,200 GBP45,700 GBP17,800-66,100 GBP
LondonCity43,200 GBP46,300 GBP17,800-65,900 GBP
BelfastCity43,200 GBP45,700 GBP17,800-66,100 GBP
ManchesterCity42,800 GBP41,900 GBP20,400-63,500 GBP
NewcastleCity42,700 GBP43,400 GBP22,600-64,400 GBP
SwanseaCity42,600 GBP40,600 GBP22,000-66,000 GBP
PlymouthCity42,600 GBP38,700 GBP21,100-63,500 GBP
BrightonCity42,500 GBP42,800 GBP21,100-66,900 GBP
NottinghamCity42,500 GBP41,300 GBP22,300-64,500 GBP
EdinburghCity42,300 GBP42,600 GBP23,800-65,900 GBP
CoventryCity41,500 GBP39,800 GBP23,400-64,800 GBP
GlasgowCity41,000 GBP41,500 GBP20,900-64,900 GBP
BradfordCity40,700 GBP38,700 GBP23,200-64,100 GBP
DerbyCity39,600 GBP39,300 GBP20,900-59,800 GBP
YorkCity39,100 GBP36,700 GBP22,000-59,200 GBP
AberdeenCity38,900 GBP41,000 GBP18,200-62,600 GBP
PortsmouthCity38,700 GBP41,500 GBP17,100-61,400 GBP
WalesRegion38,700 GBP36,500 GBP19,000-59,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity38,700 GBP36,900 GBP19,300-58,800 GBP
CambridgeCity38,700 GBP35,300 GBP17,800-55,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity37,800 GBP41,000 GBP19,400-62,600 GBP
ChesterCity37,200 GBP39,100 GBP16,800-57,800 GBP
OxfordCity37,100 GBP38,700 GBP19,200-55,300 GBP
ArmaghCity36,900 GBP39,100 GBP20,300-59,200 GBP
PeterboroughCity36,800 GBP40,300 GBP19,400-62,100 GBP
NewportCity36,800 GBP38,700 GBP15,300-59,000 GBP
PooleCity36,800 GBP35,600 GBP18,000-57,900 GBP
DundeeCity36,700 GBP41,700 GBP16,900-59,500 GBP
SouthamptonCity36,500 GBP37,100 GBP18,200-59,800 GBP
WinchesterCity36,000 GBP35,000 GBP19,100-54,500 GBP
DurhamCity35,500 GBP36,800 GBP17,500-58,600 GBP
LisburnCity35,500 GBP36,400 GBP15,700-54,900 GBP
HartlepoolCity35,400 GBP41,300 GBP15,700-60,500 GBP
LincolnCity35,200 GBP36,600 GBP18,900-57,100 GBP
NewryCity35,100 GBP35,600 GBP16,300-56,100 GBP
NorwichCity34,800 GBP40,900 GBP18,300-56,900 GBP
GloucesterCity34,800 GBP36,800 GBP19,300-58,600 GBP
ExeterCity34,300 GBP33,000 GBP17,100-52,300 GBP
DerryCity34,300 GBP33,000 GBP17,100-55,400 GBP
WakefieldCity34,000 GBP35,000 GBP14,200-52,800 GBP
SalisburyCity33,600 GBP34,300 GBP18,400-55,200 GBP
KirkwallCity33,600 GBP35,100 GBP19,200-51,100 GBP
StirlingCity33,300 GBP35,300 GBP18,800-55,700 GBP
St DavidsCity33,300 GBP32,200 GBP18,800-52,300 GBP
TruroCity33,000 GBP34,700 GBP18,400-52,800 GBP
InvernessCity33,000 GBP36,700 GBP15,100-55,100 GBP
StrontianCity32,900 GBP30,800 GBP16,400-49,000 GBP
CanterburyCity32,900 GBP35,500 GBP15,500-52,600 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion32,900 GBP35,500 GBP16,400-52,000 GBP
BangorCity32,600 GBP33,200 GBP16,000-51,100 GBP
WellsCity32,200 GBP31,800 GBP16,900-49,100 GBP
StromnessCity31,700 GBP35,600 GBP13,500-54,600 GBP
AbingdonCity31,700 GBP30,300 GBP15,700-51,800 GBP
RiponCity31,700 GBP30,000 GBP18,300-49,300 GBP

Medical Assistant in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a medical assistant make per month in United Kingdom?

    A medical assistant in United Kingdom earns about 3,316 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 39,800 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a medical assistant in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level medical assistants in United Kingdom start near 16,300 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 61,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 28,800 and 58,100 GBP.

  • Is the median medical assistant salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 42,800 GBP, higher than the average of 39,800 GBP. Half of medical assistants in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for medical assistants in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a medical assistant in United Kingdom earn around 6% more than women on average (39,000 vs 36,800 GBP a year).

  • Do medical assistants in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 60% of medical assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do medical assistants earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a medical assistant about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do medical assistants in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A medical assistant in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 13 months, equivalent to roughly 11% a year.