Medical assistant: salary, career and job training facts

Individuals looking for a career with strong job prospects should consider medical assistant salary and education information. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that between 2008 and 2018, the employment of medical assistants will increase by 34 percent, which is much faster than the average. This means the profession would grow from 483,600 to 647,500 workers in 2018.

Medical assistant salary and career training

The BLS estimates that the mean annual medical assistant salary as of May 2009 was $29,450, or $14.16 hourly. There is some variation in what a person could earn as a medical assistant, because the 10th percentile earned a mean salary of $20,750, but the 90th percentile earned a mean salary of $39,970. The American Association of Medical Assistants reported varying salaries in its 2010 Medical Assisting Salary Survey: Medical assistants with zero to two years of experience earned an average gross salary of $25,304, while those with 16 or more years of experience earned an average gross salary of $35,862.

The BLS shows that medical assistant salary averages in 2009 were highest in the following states:

While some medical assistants are trained on-the-job, many also complete formal education programs. These programs are usually one-year diploma programs or two-year associate degree programs through a local vocational school or community college. To open up more job opportunities or perhaps even earn a higher medical assistant salary, medical assistants may earn certification through an organization such as the AAMA or the Association of Medical Technologists.