Are you ready to switch careers? Looking to break into the world of healthcare in as little as nine months? If so, the medical assistant field may be the right starting point for you.

Medical assistants are one of the first lines of assistance for patients, ensuring care and healthcare offices run smoothly.

If you're looking to upgrade your career with a job that blends patient care and administrative skills — and are seeking a relatively quick path to employment in the healthcare system — you can use this guide to learn how to get your medical assistant certification for this in-demand field.

What Is a Medical Assistant?

Certified medical assistants or CMAs are key members of many healthcare teams. These multi-skilled professionals often work in outpatient settings, such as clinics, medical offices, and surgical centers.

The key responsibilities of medical assistants include both administrative and clinical tasks. This can mean updating medical records, coordinating admissions, monitoring patient conditions, and assisting NPs or physicians during exams.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

Medical assistants handle clinical and administrative duties that are crucial to providing quality patient care. Their tasks vary depending on the care setting and location.

What Skills Do You Need to Become a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistants need both clinical and technical knowledge to perform patient care and administrative duties. Students learn medical assisting skills during their programs. They also need people skills to succeed.

Steps to Becoming a Medical Assistant

To become a medical assistant, you need to graduate from an accredited program and apply for medical assistant certification. You may also advance your career through specialization and further education.

Education and certification requirements vary by state and employer. Even if your state doesn't require medical assistant certification, most organizations prefer to hire certified medical assistants because it demonstrates your knowledge and skills to employers.

Certified Medical Assistant Schooling

Candidates typically follow two paths to medical assistant certification: a CMA certificate or an associate degree in medical assisting. Students should choose an accredited program for medical assistants or an accredited associate degree.

A medical assistant program takes 9-12 months to complete, while associate degrees take two years and offer a stepping stone to nursing education programs, most notably the .

Medical Assistant Licensure and Certification

Medical assistant certification demonstrates your knowledge, skills, and career commitment to potential employers. Most healthcare companies prefer medical assistants who have graduated from accredited programs and hold certification from one of the following certifying organizations.

• Certified Medical Assistant (American Association of Medical Assistants): This is the most common certification for new medical assistants to earn before specializing in clinical care or administrative duties.
• Registered Medical Assistant (American Medical Technologists): Candidates must be employed for at least three of the last seven years to qualify. The general national certification is recognized by most states.
• National Certified Medical Assistant (National Center for Competency Testing): Candidates qualify for the exam if they have graduated from an accredited program, or if they possess two years of physician-supervised, full-time work experience.
• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (National Healthcareer Association): This certification demonstrates a specialized focus on clinical care, including vital signs, medications, EKGs, and phlebotomy.
• Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (National Healthcareer Association): Certified medical assistants specialize in administrative duties, including operating computer systems, answering correspondence, coordinating operation reports, and scheduling appointments.

Medical Assistant Salary and Job Outlook

Medical assistants benefit from a strong job outlook and median salaries similar to other healthcare support occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a median annual salary of $44,200 for medical assistants as of May 2024.

Earning potential depends on several factors, however, including location, work setting, and experience. For example, the states with the highest medical assistant salaries are Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Minnesota.

Job Outlook for Certified Medical Assistants

The medical assistant field continues to grow quickly, with an aging population and an ongoing need for medical services driving demand for medical assistants.

BLS projections indicate a 12% job growth rate from 2024-2034, substantially outpacing the projected growth rate for all occupations. That translates into nearly 101,200 medical assistant job openings in that time frame.

Medical Assistant Salary by Work Setting

The earning potential for medical assistants varies depending on the work setting, as do their responsibilities. According to the BLS, 56% of medical assistants work in physicians' offices, while 16% work in hospitals and 9% work in outpatient care centers.

Frequently Asked Questions

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