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What Does it Take to Be a Medical Assistant?
Career Description Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
Life As a Medical Assistant: What Do They Do?
- Change dressings on wounds.
- Set up medical laboratory equipment.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
- Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
- Keep financial records or perform other bookkeeping duties, such as handling credit or collections or mailing monthly statements to patients.
- Schedule appointments for patients.
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Medical Assistant Required Skills
Medical Assistants state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Medical Assistant
- Optometric Assistant
- Certified Coding Specialist
- Optometric Aide
- Medical Office Technician
- Doctor’s Assistant
Are There Job Opportunities for Medical Assistants?
There were about 634,400 jobs for Medical Assistant in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 29% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 184,000 new jobs for Medical Assistant by 2026. There will be an estimated 94,900 positions for Medical Assistant per year.
The states with the most job growth for Medical Assistant are Utah, Arizona, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Mississippi, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Medical Assistant
The typical yearly salary for Medical Assistants is somewhere between $24,790 and $47,250.
Medical Assistants who work in Alaska, District of Columbia, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Medical Assistants make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $28,460 |
| Alaska | $45,490 |
| Arizona | $33,410 |
| Arkansas | $30,320 |
| California | $38,250 |
| Colorado | $36,180 |
| Connecticut | $38,350 |
| Delaware | $33,350 |
| District of Columbia | $42,010 |
| Florida | $32,870 |
| Georgia | $32,060 |
| Hawaii | $38,040 |
| Idaho | $33,540 |
| Illinois | $35,910 |
| Indiana | $32,580 |
| Iowa | $34,990 |
| Kansas | $31,400 |
| Kentucky | $31,900 |
| Louisiana | $28,740 |
| Maine | $35,160 |
| Maryland | $36,350 |
| Massachusetts | $40,270 |
| Michigan | $32,540 |
| Minnesota | $40,320 |
| Mississippi | $30,470 |
| Missouri | $32,260 |
| Montana | $34,520 |
| Nebraska | $34,670 |
| Nevada | $33,610 |
| New Hampshire | $36,730 |
| New Jersey | $35,840 |
| New Mexico | $30,750 |
| New York | $37,560 |
| North Carolina | $32,710 |
| North Dakota | $36,560 |
| Ohio | $31,900 |
| Oklahoma | $30,960 |
| Oregon | $38,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,770 |
| Rhode Island | $35,830 |
| South Carolina | $32,120 |
| South Dakota | $29,890 |
| Tennessee | $32,370 |
| Texas | $31,580 |
| Utah | $33,000 |
| Vermont | $37,740 |
| Virginia | $35,010 |
| Washington | $41,340 |
| West Virginia | $28,160 |
| Wisconsin | $36,410 |
| Wyoming | $33,830 |
What Tools & Technology do Medical Assistants Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Medical Assistants:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Database software
- Intuit QuickBooks
- MEDITECH software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Epic Systems
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Medical condition coding software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Billing software
- Appointment scheduling software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
How to Become a Medical Assistant
Learn what Medical Assistant education requirements there are.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Assistant?
Who Employs Medical Assistants?
Below are examples of industries where Medical Assistants work:
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Medical Assistant may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Medical Assistant in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Ryan Conroy via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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