Medical assistants play a vital role in the healthcare system, bridging the gap between administrative and clinical tasks to ensure smooth operations in medical facilities.
If you have ever been to a clinic, medical office, or hospital, you've interacted with a medical assistant. They may have answered your phone call the last time you called your physician’s office, got you situated in your appointment room, or even drawn your blood work.
A medical assistant (MA) is a healthcare professional who performs both clinical and administrative duties, including taking patients' vital signs, recording medical information, scheduling appointments, and even handling billing and insurance. Their role is essential in supporting doctors and the medical team for smooth patient care and facility operations.
Whether you're considering a career in healthcare or simply curious about the profession, this guide will help you understand what is an MA, what they do, where they work, and how to become one. Plus, you will also gain valuable insights into medical assistant salaries and job outlooks.
What is a Medical Assistant?
A medical assistant is a healthcare worker who assists doctors, nurses, physicians, and other medical staff by handling patient care and administrative responsibilities. Their role varies depending on the work setting, but they are essential in ensuring efficient medical operations.
While it is often seen as an entry-level position, medical assistants play a crucial role in keeping healthcare facilities running smoothly and ensuring patients receive the best care possible. If you're wondering, is medical assistant a good job? The answer is yes—many consider it an accessible career path and an excellent entry point into healthcare.
Medical assistants—sometimes referred to as medical assistant technicians—also enjoy a good amount of career flexibility. They can specialize in fields that will allow them to perform more specialized tasks. For example, they can work in a chiropractic office, ophthalmology practice, or in the obstetrics department at a hospital.
What Do Medical Assistants Do?
Medical assistants perform tasks that are grouped into two categories: clinical and administrative. During a typical workday, they often handle both, though some may specialize in one area depending on their workplace. Take a look at some key medical assistant responsibilities:
Clinical Duties of a Medical Assistant
Common clinical medical assistant duties duties involve assisting physicians in some aspects of patient care. These include:
- Taking patient vitals (such as blood pressure, temperature, weight, heart rate)
- Assisting physicians with certain medical procedures and examinations
- Preparing patients for medical procedures
- Collecting specimens for laboratory analysis, such as drawing blood
- Giving injections and shots
- Performing basic clinical tests
- Recording patient information into an electronic health record (EHR)
Administrative Duties of a Medical Assistant
Administrative tasks involve assisting other staff in making sure the healthcare facility’s operations run smoothly. Some MAs, called medical administrative assistants, specialize in just this. Responsibilities include:
- Answering phone calls
- Scheduling patient appointments
- Assisting with medical billing and insurance
- Calling patients to remind them about appointments
- Maintaining patient records
- Greeting and directing patients in the waiting room
>> Read More: Types of Medical Assistants or Medical Assistant vs. Medical Administrative Assistant
Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
If you're considering a career in healthcare, you might be wondering: where do medical assistants work? Medical assistants can be found in a variety of outpatient settings, from private practices to large hospitals.
Some healthcare settings include:
- Hospitals: Larger facilities with more resources, where they may specialize in a particular department or rotate between different units. Since hospitals handle a high volume of patients, medical assistants who work in these settings will usually have busier schedules and spend much of their shifts on their feet while walking around the hospital.
- Private practices: Small offices with a structured workflow. Thus, the typical workload is lighter, and the pace is slower than what you would find in a hospital. In a private practice, medical assistants will likely have more flexibility with their work schedules.
- Outpatient care centers: Facilities focusing on specialized treatments like dermatology, cardiology, imaging centers, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent cares, and many more. Medical assistants who work at outpatient clinics may develop expertise in a particular field.
There are even travel medical assistants who do short contracts (typically a few months) across different locations in the United States. For those who prefer variety, this work environment allows a certified medical assistant (CMA) to gain experience in diverse medical settings while exploring new places.
Medical assistants usually work full-time schedules, and their daily tasks can vary significantly depending on their workplace. Understanding these differences can help you decide which setting best fits your career goals.
>> Read More: Typical Medical Assistant Work Schedule & Hours
How to Become a Medical Assistant?
Compared with other healthcare careers, the path to becoming a medical assistant is significantly shorter. In many states, medical assistants do not need to be certified to work. However, employers will generally lean towards hiring applicants who have completed a medical assistant certification program.
Most certifications for medical assistants consist of two steps. The first step to becoming a certified medical assistant is finishing an accredited postsecondary program at a vocational school, community college, or online program. The second step is passing an exam that assesses your knowledge as a medical assistant.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to become a medical assistant and enter the work field:
1. Obtain your high school diploma or GED
This is considered the minimum educational requirement needed to become a medical assistant. It can also be a great idea to complete courses or electives in anatomy, physiology, and biology. This will provide some foundational knowledge that can be helpful when working as a medical assistant.
2. Get the necessary training and education
It is common to first complete medical assistant training programs before working in the medical field. Medical assistant school and online medical assistant programs vary in length but will typically take around four months (certificate programs) to two years (diploma programs) to complete. The most recognized certifications are:
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) – Offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) – Delivered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) – Provided by the American Medical Technologists (AMT).
3. Get on-hands experience with an Externship
Some medical assistant training programs include an Externship component where students experience the job firsthand in a healthcare setting. This a great way to obtain on-the-job experience which can be very valuable to future employers.
4. Obtain certification
After your education and required clinical hours through an externship have been completed, it's important to take your preferred test and pass the certification test. Stepful's program for example prepares students to test for the NHA CCMA certification. This certification is more focused on the clinical aspects of medical assisting as opposed to the administrative work.
5. Find a job
Popular job platforms like Indeed, Monster, and Glassdoor can be valuable resources when searching for a medical assistant position. These platforms allow you to filter job listings based on location, experience level, and job type, making it easier to find opportunities that align with your qualifications and preferences. Additionally, setting up job alerts can ensure you receive notifications about new postings as soon as they become available.
Beyond general job boards, consider exploring local healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, private practices, and urgent care centers, as many post job openings directly on their websites. Some healthcare organizations may also have career portals where you can submit applications or sign up for job notifications. Checking the websites of community health centers, rehabilitation facilities, and specialty clinics can help you discover job opportunities that may not always be listed on larger job boards.
>> Read more: How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Assistant
Skills Required to Be a Medical Assistant
To succeed in their role, medical assistants need to be proficient in a diverse set of skills. Here are some key medical assistant skills required to be successful:
- Analytical skills: When working with patients, MAs need to be able to think critically and analyze data. For example, reviewing a patient’s medical history requires piecing together different information points to understand the overall picture and make informed decisions.
- Quick learner: Each workplace is unique and needs help with different tasks. In addition, many medical assistants are trained on the job, and quickly absorbing new information, policies, and procedures is vital to their success.
- Medical terminology: Working closely with physicians and other staff requires a solid understanding of medical assistant terminology. Medical assistants should be comfortable with medical language, including the vocabulary and abbreviations used to accurately document patient information in medical records.
- Communication: Effective interpersonal communication is an essential part of providing quality care. ****Medical assistants need to effectively communicate test results and instructions to patients. They should also be skilled at making patients feel welcome and comfortable. Related skills, such as empathy, cultural awareness, and customer service, are also essential for building trust and rapport with patients.
- Computer skills: Working with electronic health records requires medical assistants to be able to navigate through the software. They will also need to be able to type quickly and efficiently in order to accurately record patient information in the system.
>> See More: Skills Required to be a Medical Assistant
Medical Assistant Salaries & Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median medical assistant salary for 2023 was $42,000 annually, which is equivalent to approximately $20.19 per hour.
To provide more context, the top 10% of medical assistants earned $56,480 or more annually, while the bottom 10% of medical assistants earned $33,500 or less in 2023.
It is important to note that median salaries varied slightly depending on where medical assistants worked. For example, medical assistants who worked in outpatient clinics tended to earn the most, with a median salary of $46,090.
In comparison, chiropractic assistants tended to earn less, with a median salary of $35,048.
The medical assistant job outlook is strong, with employment expected to grow by 15% over the next decade—significantly faster than the average growth rate for other professions. In other words, there should be plenty of medical assistant positions available in the near future.
Salaries vary based on where you live, your experience, who you work for, and your medical assistant specialty. For instance, cardiology medical assistants, podiatric medical assistants, and dermatology medical assistants earn more than others, such as pediatric medical assistants.
>> Read More: Highest Paying Medical Assistant Specialties
Why Become a Medical Assistant?
If you're looking for a rewarding career in healthcare, becoming a medical assistant offers several advantages:
- Quick Entry into the Healthcare Field – Many programs take less than a year to complete
- High Job Demand – Growing employment opportunities nationwide
- Variety in Daily Tasks – A mix of clinical and administrative work
- Pathway to Advanced Healthcare Careers – Can lead to roles like nursing, healthcare administration, or specialized medical positions
Medical assistants are essential healthcare professionals who keep medical offices running efficiently while providing critical patient care. With the growing demand for skilled MAs, now is a great time to enter the field.Ready to start your career as a medical assistant? Take your first step toward a fulfilling career in healthcare.
