Medical Assistant Salary

We often receive questions from aspiring medical assistants about medical assistant salaries, how much a new medical assistant can expect to earn and what the average wages for experienced medical assistants who graduated from a medical assisting training program might be. Unfortunately there are so many facets to the medical assisting career and too many nuances depending on the job's location, local job market, employer's expectations, work work load, hours, and benefits that it is nearly impossible to answer this question regarding medical assistant pay with an exact figure.

Who Pays Better Medical Assistant Wages?

We know that family and  general primary care physicians do not pay their medical assistants nearly as much as doctors in specialty offices can offer, mostly because primary care physicians often are members of HMOs and bound by contracts with the health care insurance companies, such as Medicare, Blue Cross - Blue Shield, Tricare, and such. Whatever they pay out to them, which is often much less than billed, must first cover the doctor's salary, and then office expenses, utilities, supplies, professional malpractice insurance premiums, professional membership dues and fees, licenses and continuing education expenses, before they pay their staff. Often, there is not much left to go around and the medical assistant is often the person lowest on the totem pole, so to speak.

On the other hand, health and medical services from specialty physicians, or surgeons often are more complex so they cost more, and the doctor earns more and can afford to pay the medical assistant a better salary.

Average Medical Assistant Hourly Wage

If a medical assistant's annual salary is $38,000 working 2,000 hours a year, it is the equivalent to an average hourly wage of $19 per hour. As a simple baseline calculation, you can assume two weeks of paid vacation per year. That leaves 50 working weeks, and if you work the typical 40 hours a week, then you have a total of 2,000 hours of work each year. In this case, you can quickly compute the hourly wage by dividing the annual salary by 2000.

Here is a small selection of medical assistant jobs and other related medical office jobs in Western Massachusetts as seen on the Indeed.com medical assistant salary guide on 10 February 2012, which gives you a general idea and simple baseline. As you see in the below examples, annual salaries range anywhere between $67,000 for the occupational therapy assistant and $27,000 for the medical administrative assistant in our area.

Medical Records Field Technician in Springfield, MA	$44,000
Physical Therapy Assistant Travel in Springfield, MA	$63,000
Medical Office Assistant in Springfield, MA	$29,000
Medical Administrative Assistant in Springfield, MA	$27,000
Certified Medical Assistant in Springfield, MA	$27,000
Office Administrative Assistant in Springfield, MA	$35,000
Medical Assistant in Springfield, MA	$30,000
Occupational Therapy Assistant in Springfield, MA	$67,000
Medical Support Assistant in Springfield, MA	$38,000
Nursing Assistant in Springfield, MA	$31,000
Certifited Occupational Therapist Assistant in Springfield, MA	$67,000

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More at Medical Assistant NET website.

Where Medical Assistants Work

Over 819,000 practicing physicians, hospitals and clinics heavily depend on their medical assistants. Neither doctors, nor nurses are taught the business side of things in medical school and rarely do they want to be involved with that aspect of running the practice, this is where the medical office manager and administrative medical assistant comes into play.

Doctors and nurses appreciate their medical assistants so much so that many have openly stated that they cannot imagine their medical office functioning without them:

About 62 percent of medical assistants work in offices of physicians. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, but many complete 1-year or 2-year programs, however, it must be said, medical assistants are NOT nurses, physician assistants, nor doctors and never pose or practice as such.

Understanding the medical assistant's training requirements and employer expectations gives you an edge when seeking jobs:
A medical assistant can be trained on the job, however, most acquire their skills by enrolling into a formal medical assistant training program. Once you got your "medical assistant on" you will be supervised by doctors, or another licensed healthcare professional, under which you work in a medical office and practice setting.

Medical Assistants Have to Make a Living

The year 2010 has come and gone and 2011 is in full swing. We saw it coming and the US Department of Labor's predictions proved to be right: the health care industry is booming and medical assistants are once again needed more than ever. If you check the wanted ads in your local newspaper, or on major job sites such as Indeed or Monster.com, you will find that jobs for medical assistants open and close daily just about everywhere.

Where Do Medical Assistants Work?

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level for medical assistants:

*Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Metropolitan area	Employment(1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division	24,150	6.33	1.54	$14.63	$30,430
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division	12,710	2.55	0.62	$15.72	$32,690
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division	11,180	3.16	0.77	$15.22	$31,670
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX	11,040	4.42	1.07	$14.46	$30,080
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	8,990	5.34	1.30	$15.42	$32,070
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division	8,950	4.47	1.09	$14.74	$30,660
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division	8,770	4.86	1.18	$15.31	$31,850
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA	8,540	3.88	0.94	$14.42	$29,990
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division	7,730	5.63	1.37	$15.15	$31,510
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA	7,640	6.16	1.50	$15.18	$31,570

Medical Assistant Pay
Monthly and annual pay rates for medical assistants vary. If you are a medical assistant in Alaska, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Hawaii then you are also fortunate enough to enjoy top pay for this occupation. While hourly wags for medical assistants can range between $10 per hour for new graduates and $15 for experienced medical assistants in any State, medical assistants in Alaska earn a whopping $18 dollars, or more, closely matched by medical assistants in and around Washington, DC who earn $17 per hour, or more. That is impressive.

Top paying States for Medical Assistants:

*Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics as of 2010

State	Employment(1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska	1,110	3.59	0.87	$18.15	$37,750
District of Columbia	1,510	2.36	0.57	$17.69	$36,790
Massachusetts	13,190	4.23	1.03	$16.83	$35,010
Connecticut	5,940	3.72	0.90	$16.48	$34,290
Hawaii	3,170	5.55	1.35	$16.38	$34,070

If you are a medical assistant wishing to cross train, or specialize in another related health care occupation then you have plenty of choices. Health care occupations range from in-home, to ambulatory and to acute and emergency care. The field is wide open and large. With additional training and experience medical assistants can land jobs in numerous medical and health care assisting positions, even as pharmacy aides and dental assistants. Some states my have specific requirements, or may require certain limited licenses for those who will be operating x-ray equipment, or be directly involved in invasive procedures, such as phlebotomy and blood specimen processing procedures, laying catheters and initiating IV lines.

Healthcare Support Occupations United States: May 2010 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
			Wage Estimates
Occupation Code	Occupation Title (click on the occupation title to view an occupational profile)	Employment(1)	Median Hourly	Mean Hourly	Mean Annual(2)	Mean RSE (3)
31-0000	Healthcare Support Occupations	3,962,930	$11.90	$12.94	$26,920	0.2 %
31-1011	Home Health Aides	982,840	$9.89	$10.46	$21,760	0.4 %
31-1012	Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants*	1,451,090	$11.54	$12.09	$25,140	0.2 %
31-1013	Psychiatric Aides	64,730	$12.00	$12.84	$26,710	0.7 %
31-2011	Occupational Therapy Assistants	27,720	$24.52	$24.66	$51,300	0.6 %
31-2012	Occupational Therapy Aides	7,180	$13.19	$14.95	$31,090	1.7 %
31-2021	Physical Therapist Assistants	65,960	$23.89	$23.95	$49,810	0.5 %
31-2022	Physical Therapist Aides	45,900	$11.39	$12.02	$25,000	0.6 %
31-9011	Massage Therapists	60,040	$16.78	$19.12	$39,770	1.3 %
31-9091	Dental Assistants	294,030	$16.09	$16.41	$34,140	0.4 %
31-9092	Medical Assistants	523,260	$13.87	$14.31	$29,760	0.3 %
31-9093	Medical Equipment Preparers	47,310	$14.18	$14.59	$30,350	0.4 %
31-9094	Medical Transcriptionists	78,780	$15.82	$16.12	$33,530	0.4 %
31-9095	Pharmacy Aides	49,580	$10.31	$10.98	$22,830	1.0 %
31-9096	Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers	70,530	$10.60	$11.38	$23,660	0.7 %
31-9799	Healthcare Support Workers, All Other*	193,980	$14.56	$15.23	$31,670	0.4 %
*Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Any medical assistant wishing to enter into one of the above listed fields must research whether there are certain educational, or licensing requirements within their State of residency and the location where they will practice their skill.


**Additional information, including the hourly and annual 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentile wages and the employment percent relative standard error, is available in the BLS website downloadable XLS files.

Am I Just a Cheap Nurse Substitute in a Doctor's Office?

Just the other day a certified medical assistant told us the following (with a sigh):

"I've been a certified MA for three years now and I do enjoy it. I have debated going back to school for my RN, but have changed my mind several times considering my age, duration and cost of school and ultimately the luxury of having weekends and holidays off. I've accepted the fact that I am a "cheap nurse" for a doctor's office, however these few perks seem to justify the demands of the job.  I'm in the field of pediatrics so you can imagine the chaos and "cash cow" pace of getting screaming kids in and out in a timely manner so the office owner makes his quota of  kids.  Awful, but it's a job. Sometimes I feel overworked and underpaid."

Not Enough Medical Assistant Pay?

I wish I had a dollar for every medical assistant who tells me that one of their biggest gripes is the relatively low pay they receive. They feel their pay is too low for what they do, which is frustrating to them. If a medical assistant states: "I am not happy with my pay!" I cannot help but ask: "How much do you make and could there be something that's holding you back?" Then, I suggest...

Change Your Belief, or Change Your Profession!

That my sound extreme, but as in any field the medical assistant salary is commensurate with the person's level of education, training, certification and years of experience. I cannot emphasize it enough: employers, in this case often doctors, select suitable candidates not only by their training and skill level, but also by how much (or should I say, how LITTLE) they are able to get away with in paying them.

Wages & Employment Trends

National Median wages (2008) = $13.60 hourly
Employment (2006) = 417,000 employees
Projected growth (2006-2016) = Much faster than average (21% or higher)
Projected need (2006-2016) = 199,000 additional employees

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wage data 2006-2016 employment projections

Medical assistants must realize: when it comes to your pay you are NOT helpless! Nor is the situation hopeless. Many ask: "How can I compete with the rest and prove that I am the most qualified candidate for the position during the job interview?" While you may not (yet) have years of experience under the belt, you certainly have already shown that you are serious and dedicated to your profession and future by becoming a medical assistant in the first place If you have earned a medical assistant diploma from a formal training program, then more power to you! After all, if you have solid training, hands-on experience and credentials (if you took a recognized national certification exam), so you have an advantage when it comes to wages, landing the better positions and getting promotions—simply by having distinguished yourself from the rest. Of course, you will also have a valuable tool to negotiate during the job interview.

Here are more tips how underpaid medical assistants can use their credentials and specialization to pave the way to better pay. To learn more about the medical assisting career and what a medical assistant does please visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web.

The Salary Question....

A much discussed topic among new medical assistants is their salary. Low medical assistant pay, and whether the medical assisting profession should be more regulated by the state to increase standards, and wages is a much debated topic in our active Medical Assistant Web Forum.

Many are so discouraged, they are torn. It is obvious that they find the medical assisting career attractive, and they'd love to work in the medical office under the direct supervision of a licenced health care provider, but on the other hand, they are thinking about going into the nursing field for the money instead.

I wish I had all the answers for those who are frustrated, undecided, under the crunch, or in a slump. Because a career path is such an individual choice, and without going into the pros and cons of personal reasons for becoming a medical assistant, or LPN, I can share the following food for thought.

Here are some of my own awareness and decision making exercises in hopes that they serve as a guide, or inspiration. Whenever I have to make career choice, or arrived at a cross to advance in a certain direction, these are some of the things I always ask myself about myself, and my work situation first. Knowing the answers helps me to remain competitive and on the right track, which includes getting what I want (not just give what others want) out of my career, and the right salary.

An employee may not have the final say-so over their salary, but they have the power to create a true win-win situation, if they know the following about their job and themselves.... But never forget, first and foremost the old saying: "Know thyself first!".

1. What is a successful person?
2. What does my career mean to me?
3. How do I do my best every day?
4. How can I improve?
5. How do I build rapport with my employer
6. What is "give value first"?
7. What is the best way to add value?
8. How do I find a mentor?
9. What causes my fear of failure?
10. What should I do with my spare time?
11. How can I invest my time, not spend it?
12. What is the best way to impress my boss?
13. How am I helping to build the business?
14. What do I have to do to get ahead?
15. How do I show my value and create awareness of it?
16. What value do I bring beyond my job description?
17. How do I show that I am loyal?
18. How approachable and cooperative am I?
19. What am I "known" for?
20. What am I recognized as being the best for?
21. What do others in the industry say about me?
22. What is the best time and way to ask for a raise?
23. What is the best way to approach my boss?
24. How can I make my request stand out?
25. What is the best way to follow up?

(Drum-roll) And here the final "AHA"!

26. How much do I love what I do here?
27. What does it take to keep me here?
28. Do I need to look for a job elsewhere?

Opportunities abound in the medical assisting field. The key to success is knowing yourself first, knowing your job, knowing your boss, and knowing the job market. If your boss realizes your value to the success of the practice and patients... chances are s/he will reason with you, and reward you to keep you.

If not, too bad! Know what you want, and what you have to offer, let your boss know what you have to offer, and what you want, and just in case the relationship doesn't work out... always have your resume up-to-date and ready to go.

To learn more about educational requirements, and practical tips for handling emergencies, and proper documentation visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. There is lots of additional "scope of practice for medical assistants" info at that web site.