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Medical Assistants: Job 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.
What Do Medical Assistants Do?
Typical responsibilities of medical assistants cover:
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- 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.
- Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.
- Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful medical assistants combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Medical Assistants Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Autopsy Assistant
- Bilingual Medical Assistant
- Cardiology Medical Assistant
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
- Chiropractic Assistant
- Chiropractor Assistant
- Client Services Coordinator
- Clinic Assistant
Job Outlook
There are about 1,252,969 medical assistants working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -2.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Medical Assistants Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $32,137 |
| Hourly median | $15.45 |
| 10th percentile | $21,587 |
| 25th percentile | $26,862 |
| 75th percentile | $37,413 |
| 90th percentile | $42,688 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Medical Assistants Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $55,120 |
| Alaska | $51,860 |
| Oregon | $49,900 |
| District of Columbia | $49,740 |
| Minnesota | $49,380 |
| Hawaii | $48,820 |
| Massachusetts | $48,540 |
| California | $48,050 |
| New Hampshire | $48,040 |
| Wisconsin | $47,610 |
| Colorado | $47,270 |
| Maine | $46,540 |
| Connecticut | $46,500 |
| New Jersey | $46,280 |
| Nebraska | $46,080 |
| New York | $46,040 |
| Rhode Island | $45,820 |
| Illinois | $45,490 |
| Montana | $45,440 |
| Arizona | $45,440 |
| Vermont | $45,330 |
| Maryland | $45,060 |
| Iowa | $43,670 |
| Nevada | $43,450 |
| Idaho | $43,400 |
| Utah | $43,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,810 |
| North Carolina | $42,600 |
| Indiana | $42,390 |
| Virginia | $42,310 |
| Delaware | $41,830 |
| Florida | $41,380 |
| North Dakota | $41,040 |
| Ohio | $40,430 |
| South Dakota | $39,350 |
| Missouri | $39,310 |
| Wyoming | $39,240 |
| Kansas | $39,090 |
| Georgia | $39,000 |
| New Mexico | $39,000 |
| Texas | $38,930 |
| Michigan | $38,840 |
| South Carolina | $38,820 |
| Kentucky | $38,750 |
| Tennessee | $38,150 |
| Oklahoma | $37,580 |
| Arkansas | $37,150 |
| Virgin Islands | $36,660 |
| Louisiana | $35,870 |
| West Virginia | $35,860 |
| Alabama | $34,980 |
| Mississippi | $34,800 |
| Guam | $28,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,230 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for medical assistants shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $48,891 | 19.4% | 1.16 |
| New England | $47,417 | 4.7% | 1.01 |
| Middle Atlantic | $45,201 | 13.3% | 0.88 |
| Rocky Mountains | $44,916 | 3.9% | 0.99 |
| Plains States | $43,171 | 4.6% | 0.68 |
| Great Lakes | $42,478 | 13.2% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $40,169 | 14.1% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $39,588 | 26.7% | 1.11 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Medical Assistants
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $75,180 | 1,260 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $62,900 | 1,710 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $62,570 | 7,610 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $62,290 | 6,060 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $59,910 | 15,130 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $58,850 | 9,950 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $58,270 | 360 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | WA | $53,140 | 190 |
Top Industries Employing Medical Assistants
Most medical assistants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 750,930 | $44,080 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 15,010 | $45,760 |
| Educational Services | 8,510 | $47,550 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4,760 | $47,080 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4,710 | $45,520 |
| Retail Trade | 1,160 | $43,520 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 820 | $46,080 |
| Wholesale Trade | 560 | $55,320 |
Below are examples of industries where medical assistants work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for medical assistants reflects the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Typical medical assistants positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Supplemental)
- Emergency Medicine Physicians (Supplemental)
- Family Medicine Physicians (Supplemental)
- General Internal Medicine Physicians (Supplemental)
- Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future medical assistants typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
4 programs across 2 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 31-9092.00 (Medical Assistants).
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