I'm in school for MA now. I'm at the end of my program. I've been looking for job opening and found a few places that will hire MA without expirence, but most want at least 2 years. The average starting pay in my area (Louisville, KY) is $11 - $12 an hour. As fare as if you be okay with the pay, it depends on your life style. If your middle class or higher, you wnat be happy. Being a single mother of 2, you would be able to get goverment assistance with a MA salery. I'm married with 5 kids. I grow up living in povery and now live on the boarded of being middle class. Fore me the pay would be okay because I'm use to living with the bare minimum. I would suggest nursing to you. In a doctors office MA and Nurses have similar duties, so you might as well be making nuresing money.