Medical Assistants

Summary

What Medical Assistants Do About this section

Medical assistants take patients' vital signs, such as their blood pressure.

Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks, such as scheduling appointments and taking patients’ vital signs. Their duties vary by location, specialty, and employer.

Duties

Medical assistants typically do the following:

• Interview patients and record their medical history
• Measure patients' vital signs, such as their blood pressure and weight
• Help physicians with patient examinations
• Give patients injections or medications as directed by physicians and as permitted by state law
• Schedule patient appointments
• Collect and prepare samples of blood and other specimens for laboratory tests
• Enter patient information, such as their vital signs and test results, into medical records
• Maintain inventory of medical and office supplies

Medical assistants often focus on either clinical or administrative tasks, although some do both. Their primary clinical tasks involve taking and recording patients’ personal information and medical history. Other tasks that assistants are allowed to do vary by state and may include performing basic laboratory tests, disposing of contaminated supplies, and sterilizing medical instruments. Some assistants have additional responsibilities, such as instructing patients about medications or drawing blood.

Medical assistants may have a range of administrative tasks. They help patients understand and receive their insurance coverage, such as by completing forms, coding information, and contacting companies about billing. They also inventory, order, and restock medical and office supplies; answer telephones; and schedule appointments.

Some medical assistants specialize according to the type of medical practice in which they work. For example, medical assistants who help ophthalmologists and optometrists show patients how to insert, remove, and care for contact lenses.

Medical assistants must adhere to confidentiality standards when working with patients and patient information.

Medical assistants should not be confused with other healthcare occupations that may have similar titles or duties. For example, both medical assistants and physician assistants work under the direction of physicians; however, physician assistants practice medicine and can prescribe medication under a physician’s supervision.

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 783,900 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of medical assistants were as follows:

Some medical assistants spend a lot of time standing or walking as they visit patients. Others sit at a computer for much of the day to work on administrative tasks.

Work Schedules

Most medical assistants work full time. Some work evening, weekend, or holiday shifts in medical facilities that are open around the clock.

How to Become a Medical Assistant About this section

Medical assistant programs typically include supervised experience, such as a practicum.

Medical assistants typically need postsecondary education, such as a certificate. Some workers enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training.

Education

High school students interested in a career as a medical assistant should take science classes, including biology and chemistry. Although employers often prefer to hire candidates with more education, some medical assistants have a high school diploma and learn their duties on the job.

Medical assistants typically complete a postsecondary program, such as for a medical assistant certificate or an associate’s degree. Programs are available in community colleges, vocational schools, technical schools, and universities and take about 1 or 2 years to complete. Medical assistant programs include courses such as medical terminology, anatomy, and pharmacology. They also typically include supervised experience, such as a practicum or an internship.

Training

Medical assistants who do not have postsecondary education may learn their skills through on-the-job training or an apprenticeship. Physicians or other medical assistants may teach a new assistant tasks such as how to take vital signs and how to interact with patients It may take several months for an assistant to complete training, depending on the facility.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Some states require that medical assistants graduate from an accredited program, be licensed or certified, or meet other prerequisites in order to practice. Contact your state licensing agency for more information.

Although most states do not require it, employers may prefer or require that medical assistants be certified. Certification is available from a number of organizations, including the American Association of Medical Assistants, the American Medical Certification Association, National Center for Competency Testing, and the National Healthcareer Association.

Some employers may require medical assistants to meet other qualifications, such as Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Medical assistants must be able to understand medical charts and diagnoses.

Communication skills. Medical assistants need to convey important information to patients, such as when scheduling appointments or explaining medical information.

Compassion. Medical assistants interact with patients who are sick or injured and who may be in extreme pain or distress. They must be empathetic toward patients and their families.

Detail oriented. Medical assistants must be precise when taking vital signs or recording patient information. Physicians, patients, and insurance companies rely on accurate records.

Interpersonal skills. Medical assistants work with other healthcare professionals, such as physicians, and need to be able to discuss patient information with them. They also interact with patients and must be courteous.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for medical assistants was $42,000 in May 2023. 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 $33,500, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $56,480.

In May 2023, the median annual wages for medical assistants in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most medical assistants work full time. Some work evening, weekend, or holiday shifts in medical facilities that are open around the clock.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 15 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 119,800 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 large baby-boom population continues to enter older age groups, which typically have more healthcare concerns than younger age groups and will continue to increase demand for medical services. As a result, more medical assistants will be needed to perform routine administrative and clinical duties in physicians’ offices and other primary care settings.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

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.

• Medical assistants

Projections Central

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.org. 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

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.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about becoming a medical assistant, including information on certification, visit

American Association of Medical Assistants

American Medical Certification Association

American Medical Technologists

Institute for Credentialing Excellence

National Center for Competency Testing

National Healthcareer Association

O*NET

Medical Assistants