What Kind of Pay Can I Expect to Make as a Medical Assistant

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010-2011 Edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the national median income of a Medical Assistant is $29,760 per year.  This post will explain the different tasks and opportunities available to Medical Assistants and the pay associated with them.

Medical Assistants work in a variety of different healthcare settings that include clinics, doctors’ offices, hospitals, medical supply companies and more. Medical Assistants perform a wide variety of clinical and administrative tasks to keep the facility operating smoothly. They are excellent multitaskers, called on to do everything in the office from removing sutures and changing dressings, to answering phones and scheduling appointments. They operate under the direction of the attending doctor or nurse to help administer patient care and organize the office.

Medical Assistant programs usually take 8 months, and help you obtain a wide variety of skills that include:

• CPR
• Taking patient histories
• Taking and reading vital signs
• EKGs and ECGs
• Administering injections
• Venipunctures (drawing blood/phlebotomy)
• Assisting in cast application and removal
• Assisting in minor surgery
• Instrument usage
• Patient preparation
• First Aid
• Basic lab procedures
• Performing diagnostic procedures
• Patient charting
• Appointment scheduling
• Patient billing and fee collections
• Basic insurance coding
• Payroll
• Computers
• Maintaining medical records
• Completing insurance forms

Since Medical Assistants deal primarily with patients and the public, it is important that they are courteous and have excellent interpersonal skills. It is also important that they are neat, well-groomed and respectful. Medical Assistants can also certify for further career advancement, specializing in a particular medical field; or in education, teaching other assistants. These certifications usually qualify Medical Assistants for higher salaries and better positions.

The job market for Medical Assistants was last recorded at over 450,000 nationwide by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010-2011 Edition of the Occupational Handbook, and is currently projected to grow much faster than the national average.