Medical Assistants
- Summary
- What They Do
- Work Environment
- How to Become One
- Pay
- Job Outlook
- State & Area Data
- Similar Occupations
- More Info
Please enable javascript to play this video. Video transcript available at //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsgeduDiK_w. Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in hospitals, offices of physicians, and other healthcare facilities. Most medical assistants work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics,
and other healthcare facilities. Most medical assistants have postsecondary education such as a certificate. Others enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training. The median annual wage for medical
assistants was $37,190 in May 2021. Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 18 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 104,400 openings for medical assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to
different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for medical assistants. Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of medical assistants with
similar occupations. Learn more about medical assistants by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations. Summary
Quick Facts: Medical Assistants 2021 Median Pay $37,190 per year
$17.88 per hour
Typical Entry-Level Education Postsecondary nondegree award
Work Experience in a Related Occupation None
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2020 720,900
Job Outlook, 2020-30 18% (Much faster than average)
Employment Change, 2020-30 132,600
What Medical Assistants Do
Work Environment
How to Become a Medical Assistant
Pay
Job Outlook
State & Area Data
Similar Occupations
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
What Medical Assistants Do
About this section
Medical assistants often take medical histories and record vital signs of patients.
Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice.
Duties
Medical assistants typically do the following:
- Record patient history and personal information
- Measure vital signs, such as blood pressure
- Help physicians with patient examinations
- Give patients injections or medications as directed by physicians and as permitted by state law
- Schedule patient appointments
- Prepare blood samples for laboratory tests
- Enter patient information into medical records
Medical assistants take and record patients’ personal information. They must be able to keep that information confidential and discuss it only with other medical personnel who are involved in treating the patient.
Electronic health records (EHRs) are changing some medical assistants’ jobs. More and more physicians are adopting EHRs, moving all their patient information from paper to electronic records. Assistants need to learn the EHR software that their office uses.
Medical assistants should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under a physician’s supervision.
In larger practices or hospitals, medical assistants may specialize in either administrative or clinical work.
Administrative medical assistants often fill out insurance forms or code patients’ medical information. They often answer telephones and schedule patient appointments.
Clinical medical assistants have different duties, depending on the state where they work. They may do basic laboratory tests, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They may have additional responsibilities, such as instructing patients about medication or special diets, preparing patients for x rays, removing stitches, drawing blood, or changing dressings.
Some medical assistants specialize according to the type of medical office where they work. The following are examples of specialized medical assistants:
Ophthalmic medical assistants and optometric assistants help ophthalmologists and optometrists provide eye care. They show patients how to insert, remove, and care for contact lenses. Ophthalmic medical assistants also may help an ophthalmologist in surgery.
Podiatric medical assistants work closely with podiatrists (foot doctors). They may make castings of feet, expose and develop x rays, and help podiatrists in surgery.
Work Environment About this section
Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of health practitioners running smoothly.
Medical assistants held about 720,900 jobs in 2020. The largest employers of medical assistants were as follows:
Offices of physicians | 57% |
Hospitals; state, local, and private | 15 |
Outpatient care centers | 8 |
Offices of chiropractors | 4 |
Work Schedules
Most medical assistants work full time. Some work evenings, weekends, or holidays to cover shifts in medical facilities that are always open.
How to Become a Medical Assistant
About this section
Assistants may update a patient's medical file, fill out insurance forms, and answer telephone calls in a practitioner's office.
Most medical assistants have a postsecondary education award such as a certificate. Others enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training.
Education
Medical assistants typically graduate from postsecondary education programs. Although there are no formal educational requirements for becoming a medical assistant in most states, employers may prefer to hire assistants who have completed these programs.
Programs for medical assisting are available from community colleges, vocational schools, technical schools, and universities and take about 1 year to complete. These programs usually lead to a certificate or diploma. Some community colleges offer 2-year programs that lead to an associate’s degree. All programs have classroom and laboratory portions that include lessons in anatomy and medical terminology.
Some medical assistants have a high school diploma or equivalent and learn their duties on the job. High school students interested in a career as a medical assistant should take courses in biology, chemistry, and anatomy, and possibly business and computers.
Important Qualities
Analytical skills. Medical assistants must be able to understand and follow medical charts and diagnoses. They may be required to code a patient’s medical records for billing purposes.
Detail oriented. Medical assistants need to be precise when taking vital signs or recording patient information. Physicians and insurance companies rely on accurate records.
Interpersonal skills. Medical assistants need to be able to discuss patient information with other medical personnel, such as physicians. They often interact with patients who may be in pain or in distress, so they need to be able to act in a calm and professional manner.
Technical skills. Medical assistants should be able to use basic clinical instruments so they can take a patient’s vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure.
Training
Medical assistants who do not have postsecondary education certificates learn their skills through on-the-job training. Physicians or other medical assistants may teach a new assistant medical terminology, the names of the instruments, how to do daily tasks, how to interact with patients, and other tasks that help keep an office running smoothly. Medical assistants also learn how to code both paper and electronic health records (EHRs) and how to record patient information. It can take several months for an assistant to complete training, depending on the facility.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Medical assistants are not required to be certified in most states. However, employers may prefer to hire certified assistants.
Several organizations offer certification. An applicant must pass an exam and have taken one of several routes to be eligible for each certification. These routes include graduation from an accredited program and work experience, among others. In most cases, an applicant must be at least 18 years old before applying for certification.
The National Commission for Certifying Agencies, part of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, accredits five certifications for medical assistants:
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) from the American Association of Medical Assistants
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from American Medical Technologists
- National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) from the National Center for Competency Testing
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) from the National Healthcareer Association
Some states may require assistants to graduate from an accredited program, pass an exam, or both, in order to practice. Contact the state board of medicine for more information.
Advancement
With experience, medical assistants can specialize and move into leadership roles. With more education they may advance into other healthcare occupations such as registered nurse, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.
Median annual wages, May 2021 Pay
About this section
Medical Assistants
The median annual wage for medical assistants was $37,190 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $29,070, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $48,170.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for medical assistants in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Outpatient care centers | $38,270 |
Hospitals; state, local, and private | 37,800 |
Offices of physicians | 37,150 |
Offices of chiropractors | 30,100 |
Most medical assistants work full time. Some work evenings, weekends, or holidays to cover shifts in medical facilities that are always open.
Percent change in employment, projected 2020-30 Job Outlook
About this section
Medical Assistants
Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 18 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 104,400 openings for medical assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
The growth of the aging baby-boom population will continue to increase demand for preventive medical services, which are often provided by physicians. As a result, physicians will hire more assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties, allowing the physicians to see more patients.
An increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities will also need support workers, particularly medical assistants, to complete both administrative and clinical duties. Medical assistants work mostly in primary care, a steadily growing sector of the healthcare industry.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program | |||||
31-9092 | 720,900 | 853,500 | 18 | 132,600 | Get data |
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth
for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles
with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. State & Area Data About this section
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Statistics (OEWS)
Projections Central
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Similar Occupations About this section
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of medical assistants.
| Dental Assistants | Dental assistants provide patient care, take x rays, keep records, and schedule appointments. | Postsecondary nondegree award | $38,660 |
| Dental Hygienists | Dental hygienists examine patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provide preventive care, including oral hygiene. | Associate's degree | $77,810 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) provide basic nursing care. | Postsecondary nondegree award | $48,070 |
| Medical Records and Health Information Specialists | Medical records and health information specialists organize, manage, and code health information data. | Postsecondary nondegree award | The annual wage is not available. |
| Nursing Assistants and Orderlies | Nursing assistants provide basic care and help patients with activities of daily living. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas. | See How to Become One | $30,290 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides | Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. | See How to Become One | $61,520 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals. | High school diploma or equivalent | $36,740 |
| Phlebotomists | Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations. | Postsecondary nondegree award | $37,380 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides | Physical therapist assistants and aides are supervised by physical therapists to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses. | See How to Become One | $49,180 |
| Psychiatric Technicians and Aides | Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental illness and developmental disabilities. | See How to Become One | $36,230 |
Last Modified Date: Monday, April 18, 2022