What is the Salary for a Medical Assistant?
If you’re interested in a career as a medical assistant, you might be wondering what sort of salary you should expect for this type of work. The answer relies on a variety of points. The following factors tend to greatly influence how much a medical assistant earn.
But First, What is the Job Outlook for Medical Assistants?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the medical assistant field is expanding. While other occupations can expect a 7% projected growth, medical assistants can expect a projected growth of 23%. This is caused by several factors, including an aging baby boomer population and increased access to medical care.
Location Impacts a Medical Assistant Salary
Medical assistants earn different amounts when organized in terms of states and cities. Based on the 2015 Handbook of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top three states in annual mean salaries are District of Columbia, Alaska, and Massachusetts. They pay $39,780, $38,800, and $38,090 annually respectively. West Virginia had the lowest annual wage at $25,550.
Medical assistant workers in San Jose, CA earned the highest with their average wage standing at $44,590. Other cities that recorded impressive earnings of over $38,610 include Des Moines, Boston, Fairbanks, and Oakland.
Are you working Full-Time or Part-Time?
Since working as a medical assistant is mostly based on hourly rates, you will expect to earn more money when working full-time compared to part-time. As it is already clear, the hourly rates vary based on many factors. The idea behind the rates is that higher qualification levels, experience, and certification will land you good rates.
When working part-time, you can work your way around to earn more. Look for different employers and schedule your shifts accordingly. Working in shifts as a part-time assistant is common especially when full-time assistants go on leave or take work breaks. It is, however, important to seek a full-time contract since it has benefits like sick leave, paid vacation, and insurance coverage.
In Addition to your Degree, are you Certified or Non-Certified?
Like in most of the other professional fields, getting a certificate or degree as a medical assistant is not enough. You have to be registered and certified with the appropriate body. In this case, it the American Association of Medical Assistants that has the mandate to certify duly qualified medical assistants. Your certification in this field is key to your continued success.
What Work Setting are you in as a Medical Assistant?
The work setting in which an assistant is employed has its fair share of how it influences the hourly pay. Being employed in a specialty or private setting will help you work at higher hourly rates than at a clinic setting.
Outpatient care centers and offices of other types of practitioners constitute the remaining percentage of work settings for medical assistants. In terms of comparing the earning based on the settings, outpatient care centers had the largest median annual wages.
So What do Medical Assistants Actually Make?
According to the BLS, medical assistants make a median wage of $30,590. There is some difference in settings. With the BLS reporting that medical assistants make the most ($32,060) at outpatient care centers and the least ($27,980) at the offices of health practitioners who are not physicians.
Are you interested in becoming a medical assistant and beginning your journey in a health science career? If this expanding field sounds like the right place for you, be sure to contact ECPI University today to explore your options. With their accelerated, year-round classes, you could earn an Associates of Applied Science in Healthy Science with a concentration in Medical Assisting in as little as 15 months.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Medical Assisting – Associate’s
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