If you're hoping to attend physician assistant (PA) school, gaining clinical experience in healthcare will strengthen your application and help you decide if a medical career is right for you. But what jobs are the best to do before PA school?

There are many healthcare jobs that don't require a college degree — such as medical assistant, emergency medical technician, and phlebotomist — that you can do while in undergrad or before attending PA school.

This guide goes over jobs you can do before PA school that may help you get into your dream school while giving you valuable experience that you can carry into your career.

Best Jobs to Do Before PA School

Here are some of the best jobs you can get before PA school that can strengthen your application and help you get in:

Medical Assistant

A medical assistant is someone who works in a healthcare facility, usually a clinic or doctor’s office, and helps care for patients and keep the office organized.

They perform basic clinical tasks like drawing blood and taking vital signs, as well as administrative tasks like billing and scheduling appointments.

Medical assisting jobs are great for people who hope to become physician assistants someday. Medical assistants learn a lot about common health conditions, basic laboratory tests, and bedside procedures. Plus, medical assistants in the United States have good healthcare benefits and earn a decent salary.

• Median salary: $41,600
• Number of jobs in the US: 783,900‍
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, certification preferred

Dental Assistant

A dental assistant is an important member of the dental healthcare team. They work in offices of dentists and can help with everything from scheduling appointments to sterilizing supplies.

Dental assistants often continue on to dental hygiene school or dental school, but the role is still a great way to get experience for PA school. That’s because dental assistants get a lot of practice with bedside manner, learning basic anatomy, and working with health insurance companies.

• Median salary: $47,300
• Number of jobs in the US: 376,500‍
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, dental assistant certification preferred (required in some states)

Patient Care Technician

Patient care technicians can work in long-term care centers, hospitals, clinics, and more. They spend most of their time working directly with patients and can handle both administrative and clinical tasks. 

Patient care technicians need to understand how to help patients with daily tasks, measure vitals, keep accurate medical records, maintain infection control, perform phlebotomy, measure an EKG, and much more.

• Median salary: $39,430
• Number of jobs in the US: 1,469,400‍
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, certification preferred

Medical Administrative Assistant

Medical administrative assistants take care of administrative tasks in clinics, hospitals, surgical centers, care centers, and more. Also called medical office assistants and medical receptionists, some of these professionals are even able to work remotely.

Medical administratives schedule appointments, assist with billing and insurance, answer phone calls, and keep supplies organized. They have to have a good working knowledge of medical terminology, healthcare law and ethics, medical documentation, and computer systems.

Keep in mind that not all physician assistant schools consider medical administrative roles as patient care hours since some of these roles don’t include direct interaction with patients.

• Median salary: $40,640
• Number of jobs in the US: 749,500‍
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, certification preferred

Recreational Therapy Assistant

Recreational therapy is a tool used in hospitals and rehabilitation centers to help patients regain strength, function, and improve their quality of life. 

Recreational therapy assistants help their patients with activities like music, games, and art. They get great experience working with and understanding the needs of different types of patients. They may work with small children, special needs adults, elderly patients, and everyone in between.

• Median salary: $37,370
• Number of jobs in the US: 52,100
• Education required: High school diploma or GED

Anesthesia Monitoring Technician

Anesthesia monitoring technician is a position that most people don’t know about, but they play an essential role in operating rooms and critical care areas.

Anesthesia monitoring technicians help anesthesiologists and can place arterial lines, collect blood samples during surgery, help monitor vital signs, and collect equipment and medications.

Anesthesia monitoring technicians have to know about sterility, operating room procedures, anatomy and physiology, and some pharmacology. Becoming an AMT is a great option for hopeful surgical physicians assistants.

• Median salary: $62,480
• Number of jobs in the US: 134,000
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, most hospitals require certification

Medical Receptionist

Working as a medical receptionist can offer useful experience for PA school. Medical receptionists have to have an excellent understanding of medical terminology, and get to hear a lot about different diagnoses and care plans.

Medical receptionists can work in all kinds of healthcare settings including hospitals, clinics, and care centers. They are responsible for answering phone calls, dealing with billing, scheduling appointments, and sometimes coordination of care with different specialists.

• Median salary: $40,640
• Number of jobs in the US: 749,500‍
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, certification preferred

Surgical Technician

Surgical technicians get to work right alongside surgeons as they perform their procedures. Also called surgical technologists, these technicians are responsible for preparing sterile instruments and handing those tools to the surgeon as they work.

They can also suction blood from the patient to improve the surgeon’s view of the area of operation and can hold traction, meaning they hold skin, bones, or organs out of the way to give a better view of the surgical field.

Surgical technicians must also pay close attention to make sure that everyone working on the patient in the operating room remains sterile during the procedure. They also keep count of each stitch, gauze, and surgical tool used during the operation to make sure that nothing is left inside the patient at the end of surgery.

• Median salary: $62,830
• Number of jobs in the US: 113,890‍
• Education required: Certificate or associate’s degree

Certified Nursing Assistant

Certified nursing assistants usually work in long-term care facilities and hospitals. They often care for patients who need help with daily living like getting to the bathroom, brushing their teeth, and eating meals.

Certified nursing assistants do a lot of physical labor like lifting patients out of bed and carrying heavy hospital equipment. In some states, CNAs can learn to insert IV catheters and help with sterile dressing changes.

• Median salary: $39,530
• Number of jobs in the US: 1,388,430
• Education required: Certification required

Emergency Medical Technician

Emergency medical technicians are first responders who usually work in an ambulance, responding to emergency medical calls and transporting patients between medical facilities.

Emergency medical technicians can do things like take vital signs, measure blood sugar levels, give injections, and perform CPR. In some states, emergency medical technicians are trained to give intranasal naloxone to treat opioid overdose.

• Median salary: $41,340
• Number of jobs in the US: 177,980
• Education required: Certification required

Phlebotomist

A phlebotomist specializes in collecting blood samples for laboratory testing. Phlebotomists can work in hospitals, clinics, and outpatient centers, and must learn techniques to avoid causing injury or infection and prevent contamination of their samples.

• Median salary: $43,660
• Number of jobs in the US: 138,880
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, certification preferred

Hospital Volunteer

While it won't help you build your savings account, volunteering at a hospital can give you great experience working with patients, becoming familiar with hospital systems, and helping you give back to the community.

Hospital volunteers can do anything from greeting patients, keeping hospital grounds clean, and holding NICU babies while their parents are away.

• Median salary: $0
• Education required: None

Home Health Aide

Home health aides travel to patients’ homes to help with basic tasks such as bathing, grooming, and eating. They may also change simple bandages and measure vital signs during their time with the patient.

Home health aides usually work without any other healthcare providers present, meaning they have to use critical thinking skills and know how to respond in case of an emergency.

• Median salary: $34,900
• Number of jobs in the US: 3,961,900
• Education required: High school diploma or GED

Learn More: PA School Application Timeline & Deadlines

Hospice Aide

A hospice aide is someone who takes care of people at the end of their lives. Hospice aides focus on keeping their patients calm and comfortable in their last weeks, days, or hours before death.

Hospice aides must learn to have a fantastic bedside manner and excellent communication skills to fulfill their difficult but extremely meaningful duties.

• Median salary: $34,900
• Number of jobs in the US: 3,961,900
• Education required: High school diploma or GED

Medical Scribe

A medical scribe, also called a medical transcriptionist, is a healthcare professional who helps a physician stay organized and keeps patient charts up-to-date. Medical scribes often document patient-physician encounters in real-time, making sure that each part of a procedure or examination is documented accurately.

Medical scribes become familiar with medical language and learn about each step involved in many common procedures.

• Median salary: $37,550
• Number of jobs in the US: 54,500
• Education required: High school diploma or GED required, certification preferred

Physical Therapy Assistant

Physical therapy assistants can work in home health, hospitals, or physical therapy offices. They work with physical therapists to help injured or weak patients gain strength and mobility.

Physical therapy assistants can help with a range of motion exercises, apply electrostimulation, and give massages.

• Median salary: $65,510
• Number of jobs in the US: 108,010
• Education required: Associate’s degree

Hospital Clerk

A hospital clerk, also called a medical records specialist, helps to keep the entire hospital organized. They control the flow of patients, keep track of how many clean beds are available, know when patients are expected to discharge home, and help coordinate the staffing of physician assistants.

A hospital clerk can also answer visitors’ questions and help manage the front desk of the hospital, helping worried families locate their loved ones and get status updates. Working as a hospital clerk will give you great customer service practice, an understanding of medical terminology, and organizational skills that can all be helpful when becoming a physician assistant.

• Median salary: $50,250
• Number of jobs in the US: 187,910
• Education required: High school diploma or GED

Medical Interpreter or Translator

A medical interpreter or translator has to complete special training and pass a test that ensures they are fluent in the language they plan to use for their interpreting job. Medical interpreters often have to help healthcare providers give complex diagnoses and instructions about how to manage diseases.

These translators play an important role in helping patients make decisions about their care, understand instructions about medications and follow-up appointments, and get all of their questions answered. Many medical interpreters work remotely and interpret patient-to-caregiver conversations over the phone.

• Median salary: $59,440
• Number of jobs in the US: 78,300
• Education required: Fluency in both languages and certification in medical interpretation

Orderly

Orderlies work in operating rooms to keep things organized, including supplies and surgery schedules. They often transport patients from the surgical suite to the recovery room and play a vital role in keeping things on time.

Orderlies also stock and organize supplies in each operating room, which can be life-saving in an emergency. Orderlies must be detail-oriented and be able to stay focused in a crisis.

• Median salary: $39,430
• Number of jobs in the US: 1,469,400
• Education required: High school diploma or GED

Transporter

Transporters in hospitals help patients travel from their rooms to different procedure areas. Hospital patients often have to travel to different areas to get things like CT scans or MRIs. Transporters are responsible for getting the patient to and from their destination safely.

Transporters usually push a stable patient to their destination in a wheelchair, but at times their job can become quite complicated. Some intensive care unit patients may need to travel in their hospital bed and can be connected to a ventilator, tube feedings, IV medications, and even devices like an artificial heart during transport. These extremely sick patients always travel with a transporter and a physician assistant.

• Median salary: $32,580
• Number of jobs in the US: 11,520
• Education required: High school diploma or GED

Monitor Technician

A monitoring technician, also called a cardiovascular technician, is specially trained in reading heart rhythms on a monitor and being able to recognize problems. While there are usually alarm systems in place that can alert staff of a medical emergency, monitoring technicians are trained to notice subtle changes that can happen when a patient starts to decline.

A good monitoring technician can help prevent an emergency by identifying dangerous changes in heart rhythm or other vital signs. Monitoring technicians may also be asked to directly watch over a patient who is confused or combative to make sure that they do not harm themselves during their hospital stay.

• Median salary: $66,170
• Number of jobs in the US: 55,660
• Education required: High school diploma or GED plus certification, or associate’s degree

Sanitation Technician

Sanitation technicians, also called environmental services staff, are invaluable members of the healthcare team. A good sanitation technician ensures that rooms are prepared and ready to accept the next patient who needs care, prevents the spread of infection between patients, and helps keep things organized and tidy.

Sanitation technicians help with regular housekeeping tasks like mopping, laundry, and taking out garbage bags. They may use special light equipment to destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. 

Some environmental services staff receive special training on how to protect themselves from needlestick injuries, exposure to body fluids, and hazardous chemicals.

• Median salary: $35,930
• Number of jobs in the US: 2,431,600
• Education required: On-the-job training

Dietitian Aide

A dietitian aide, also called a dietetic technician, helps deliver meals and snacks to patients in the hospital while keeping everyone safe. Dietitian aides have to use safe food handling practices to prevent illness.

Dietitian aides also have to pay attention to each patient’s allergies and what type of dietary restrictions might apply in the hospital, such as soft foods only, low salt, fluid restrictions, and special diabetic diets. Despite this, it's generally considered a low-stress medical job.

• Median salary: $36,520
• Number of jobs in the US: 24,240
• Education required: High school diploma or GED

How Working in Healthcare Before PA School Helps Your Application

Working in healthcare before physician assistant school is a great way to strengthen your application. While not all PA schools require clinical experience, all of them will look positively on any experience you do have. If you are on the lower end of the GPA requirements to get into PA school, having a lot of clinical experience can help.

Consider working one of the above jobs in the summers of your undergraduate years or part-time while attending school.

Not only can these roles help you get into PA school, but they can also help you land a better job once you graduate. Getting used to working around patients or in a hospital can make it just a bit easier for you to start your physician assistant career.

One final note: Always check with the schools you're interested in to make sure the jobs you're considering satisfy their requirements. Working in jobs that don't involve patient interaction, like a pharmacy technician, may not count as clinical experience in the eyes of the admissions board.