Medical Assistants

Overview

Medical Assistants has a national median salary of $45,690 per year, with +12.9% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Support
• Achievement

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
• Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
• Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
• Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
• Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Working with Computers
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Processing Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Detailed Work Activities

• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a postsecondary certificate as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished an associate's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Associate's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a postsecondary certificate.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Medical Assistants:

Video Resources