If you are trying to start a career in healthcare, you may be considering our Medical Assistant and Medical Administrative Assistant programs here at Stepful.
While they sound similar, medical assistants and medical administrative assistants actually have some important differences that may impact which program (and ultimately which career) is right for you
Quick Overview: Medical Assistant vs. Medical Administrative Assistant
Medical assistants and medical administrative assistants both typically work in the offices of medical providers. However, their daily tasks vary greatly.
Medical assistants handle both clinical tasks that deal with patient care and administrative tasks. They spend their days doing things like measuring vital signs, giving vaccinations, and answering phone calls.
On the other hand, medical administrative assistants handle only administrative tasks like billing, dealing with insurance, scheduling, and organizing the office.
Both medical assistants and medical administrative assistants can pursue certifications to make them more attractive job applicants. Our programs here at Stepful prepare you to take the certification exams and start your career.
Deciding Which Program is Right for You: Key Considerations
Choosing which program you’d like to enroll in can be a difficult decision. There are a few things you should consider before committing, such as:
If You Prefer Clinical or Administrative Work
Think about how you want to spend your days at work. If you enjoy working with patients in a clinical setting, medical assisting is probably the best choice. Keep in mind that medical assistants may have to deal with body fluids such as spit, urine, and blood.
If you are great with computers and enjoy doing administrative tasks like organizing and making phone calls, medical administrative assisting may be a better fit.
Your Preferred Work Environment
Both medical assistants and medical administrative assistants can work in similar places, but they have different work environments.
Medical administrative assistants spend most of their day sitting, working at a computer desk, and answering phone calls. They interact with patients, insurance representatives, and medical supply companies.
On the other hand, medical assistants spend most of their days on their feet, moving from room to room, working hands-on with patients, and restocking supplies. Medical assistants typically work alongside medical doctors or physician assistants. They often function as a second set of hands for bedside procedures such as skin biopsies or stitches.
Your Futures Career Goals
When deciding what type of training to complete, think about your future career goals. Medical assistants often go on to more advanced patient care jobs such as physician assistants or even medical doctors—though both require additional schooling.
The clinical experience that medical assistants gain helps them to feel comfortable working with patients, performing basic assessments, administering medications, drawing blood, and changing dressings.
Medical administrative assistants are more likely to pursue other careers in healthcare administration or management. As medical administrative assistants get experience, they get a good idea of how to organize and run an office. Their work helps them get an understanding of billing and coding, managing schedules, and dealing with customer service issues.
How Long Do You Want to Go to School
If you are in a hurry to get through school, our Medical Administrative Assistant program is shorter by 1 month. This program is 3 months while the Medical Assistant program is 4 months.
If You’re Willing to Do an Externship
Another thing you should consider is whether or not you want to do an externship. This is an in-person experience where you get to shadow and help a full-time worker in the field you’re training for.
Our Medical Assistant program includes support in finding an externship, but the Medical Administrative Assistant program does not.
Job Market Demand in Your Area
Before committing to a program, look at the job market in your area.
A quick job search can give you an idea of how difficult it might be to find a job after you complete your training and earn your certification. Websites like LinkedIn and Indeed are a good place to start.
Overall, the job market for medical assistants is good, with a 14% growth for medical assistants through 2032. The BLS does not report job outlook statistics for medical administrative assistants, so check your local area to see how many jobs are available.
Starting Salary
The average MAA salary ($43,380) and the average MA salary ($42,000) are very similar.
Both jobs have salaries ranging from around $30,000 to $60,000, depending on experience, where you work, whether or not you have earned a certification, and if you choose to specialize.
We recommend checking local job listings to see what the starting wages are for each job in your area. Consider if you are willing to commute to get a higher salary for the job you would prefer.
>> Still unsure? Read our guide comparing medical assistant & medical adminsitrative assistant careers
What You Get With Both Stepful Programs
Both of our programs can get you started on a meaningful career in healthcare and set you up for success if you ever want to pursue a more advanced career. Both programs have a lot to offer, including:
- Prepare to test for your national certification. Earning a national certification is a great way to make yourself a more competitive job applicant and may help you ask for a higher starting salary as a medical assistant or medical administrative assistant. Stepful prepares medical assistant students for the CCMA exam and medical administrative assistants for the CMAA exam.
- Career coaching. To help with your job search, Stepful offers one-on-one coaching and career guidance. If you need help building a resume, preparing for interviews, or applying for jobs, our staff is here to help.
- Coursework is all online. One thing that many students like is that our coursework is all online. This allows you to work on assignments and study at times that are convenient for you and take any extra time you need to review material.
- Part-time classes. In addition to coursework being online, Stepful is a part-time program. This is ideal for people who are trying to complete their training while working or taking care of their families.
