Salary comparison
Medical Assistants: Fairbanks vs Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, WA pays about 18.7% more for medical assistants on paper — $61,870 vs $52,140. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Mount Vernon comes out ahead by $9,730 a year in real buying power.
Fairbanks, AK
$52,140
$47,140
$59,940
$25.07
100
$52,140/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Mount Vernon, WA
$61,870
$47,990
$63,810
$29.74
100
$61,870/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $9,730 a year (18.7%) in favor of Mount Vernon. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Fairbanks runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Mount Vernon sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Mount Vernon is the better deal by $9,730 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Fairbanks to Mount Vernon for this role, the raise needs to beat 18.7% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do medical assistants earn more, Fairbanks or Mount Vernon?
Mount Vernon pays $61,870 on median — about 18.7% more than Fairbanks ($52,140). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Mount Vernon. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Mount Vernon gives you roughly$61,870 of real buying power versus $52,140 in the other city.