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How much does medical assistant get paid?
I want to know the range or salary depending on location.
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Doc’s Answer
While medical assistants may be found working in a number of specialized fields, there are three main types of medical assistants from which to choose: Clinical Medical Assistant, Administrative Medical Assistant and Specialized Medical Assistant. While all three types share some similarities, they have different requirements and involve different job descriptions.
CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANT
A Clinical Medical Assistant’s primary focus is on patient care, conducting assessments, and performing other clinical tasks. This may include preparing patients for medical examinations, documenting vitals and medical histories, instructing patients on home care, performing minor treatments, and assisting the physician during examinations. While the job duties of a clinical MA are broad, the main focus will be on the clinical aspects of the practice. The average Clinical Medical Assistant salary in California is $43,588 as of September 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $40,184 and $47,069.
ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL ASSISTANT
Administrative Medical Assistants mostly perform administrative tasks such as managing patient records, making appointments, answering phones, maintaining the front desk and reception areas, and performing general accounting and billing. Administrative MAs play a pivotal role in physicians’ offices. They ensure that the business side of the practice operates smoothly to ensure minimal interruption to the physician’s core function of providing patient care. To be effective in this position, job candidates should have superb written and oral communication skills, proper phone etiquette, above average computer skills, and a basic understanding of medical terminology. The average hourly wage for a Administrative Medical Assistant in the United States is $21 as of September 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $19 and $23. Hourly rate can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.
SPECIALIZED MEDICAL ASSISTANT
Specialized Medical Assistants perform specialized clinical tasks, since their specialized training allows them to work closely with physicians and serve patients more directly. Depending upon the size of the medical practice, specialized MAs may report directly to the physician, or to an administrative manager. The specific tasks will depend largely on their area of specialization, size of the practice, and the number of assistants on staff. As of September 25, 2023, a Specialty Medical Assistant in California earns an average salary of $44,368 per year. A Specialty Medical Assistant's salary in California can be paid hourly, weekly or monthly depending on the company and job type. Most part-time jobs will be paid hourly or weekly. Using the salary calculator, the average pay comes out to be about $21 an hour or $853/week or $3,697/month.
CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANT
A Clinical Medical Assistant’s primary focus is on patient care, conducting assessments, and performing other clinical tasks. This may include preparing patients for medical examinations, documenting vitals and medical histories, instructing patients on home care, performing minor treatments, and assisting the physician during examinations. While the job duties of a clinical MA are broad, the main focus will be on the clinical aspects of the practice. The average Clinical Medical Assistant salary in California is $43,588 as of September 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $40,184 and $47,069.
ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL ASSISTANT
Administrative Medical Assistants mostly perform administrative tasks such as managing patient records, making appointments, answering phones, maintaining the front desk and reception areas, and performing general accounting and billing. Administrative MAs play a pivotal role in physicians’ offices. They ensure that the business side of the practice operates smoothly to ensure minimal interruption to the physician’s core function of providing patient care. To be effective in this position, job candidates should have superb written and oral communication skills, proper phone etiquette, above average computer skills, and a basic understanding of medical terminology. The average hourly wage for a Administrative Medical Assistant in the United States is $21 as of September 25, 2023, but the range typically falls between $19 and $23. Hourly rate can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.
SPECIALIZED MEDICAL ASSISTANT
Specialized Medical Assistants perform specialized clinical tasks, since their specialized training allows them to work closely with physicians and serve patients more directly. Depending upon the size of the medical practice, specialized MAs may report directly to the physician, or to an administrative manager. The specific tasks will depend largely on their area of specialization, size of the practice, and the number of assistants on staff. As of September 25, 2023, a Specialty Medical Assistant in California earns an average salary of $44,368 per year. A Specialty Medical Assistant's salary in California can be paid hourly, weekly or monthly depending on the company and job type. Most part-time jobs will be paid hourly or weekly. Using the salary calculator, the average pay comes out to be about $21 an hour or $853/week or $3,697/month.
Updated
Atul’s Answer
For a quick and direct way to find out, visit Indeed.com or Ziprecruiter.com. Don't forget to check LinkedIn as well.
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
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James Constantine’s Answer
Hi Jana!
Let's dive into the world of medical assistant salaries, shall we? Just like any other job, the pay varies based on a bunch of factors - where you're located, your experience, your education, and the type of healthcare facility you're working in.
On average, a medical assistant in the U.S. makes about $34,800 a year. But remember, this is just an average. Some folks might make as little as $25,000, while others could be pulling in $48,000 or more. These numbers can swing a lot depending on the factors we talked about earlier.
Where you live can really make a difference in your paycheck. Different states and even different parts of states have different costs of living and different demands for healthcare services. So, medical assistants in big cities or places where it's more expensive to live usually make more than those in rural areas.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put together a list of the top-paying states for medical assistants as of May 2020:
1. Alaska, where medical assistants make an average of $45,630 a year.
2. The District of Columbia, with an average annual wage of $44,530.
3. Massachusetts, where medical assistants pull in about $43,600 a year.
On the flip side, states like Arkansas, West Virginia, and Mississippi tend to pay medical assistants less on average.
Keep in mind, these are just averages. Your own salary could be different based on your experience, education, and even the specific city or region you're in within your state.
Here are the top 3 places you can look for more info:
1. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) - This federal agency has tons of data on jobs and wages, including for medical assistants. You'll find detailed info on salary ranges and job trends on their website.
2. PayScale - This online platform has salary data for all sorts of jobs, including medical assistants. They get their info from both employees and employers to give you the most accurate and current salary ranges.
3. Indeed - This well-known job search site also has salary info. They pull data from job postings, employee reports, and other sources to give you a good idea of what medical assistants are making in different places.
Just remember, even with all this info, salaries can still vary. Things like your own qualifications, any certifications you have, and your negotiation skills can all play a part.
Let's dive into the world of medical assistant salaries, shall we? Just like any other job, the pay varies based on a bunch of factors - where you're located, your experience, your education, and the type of healthcare facility you're working in.
On average, a medical assistant in the U.S. makes about $34,800 a year. But remember, this is just an average. Some folks might make as little as $25,000, while others could be pulling in $48,000 or more. These numbers can swing a lot depending on the factors we talked about earlier.
Where you live can really make a difference in your paycheck. Different states and even different parts of states have different costs of living and different demands for healthcare services. So, medical assistants in big cities or places where it's more expensive to live usually make more than those in rural areas.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put together a list of the top-paying states for medical assistants as of May 2020:
1. Alaska, where medical assistants make an average of $45,630 a year.
2. The District of Columbia, with an average annual wage of $44,530.
3. Massachusetts, where medical assistants pull in about $43,600 a year.
On the flip side, states like Arkansas, West Virginia, and Mississippi tend to pay medical assistants less on average.
Keep in mind, these are just averages. Your own salary could be different based on your experience, education, and even the specific city or region you're in within your state.
Here are the top 3 places you can look for more info:
1. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) - This federal agency has tons of data on jobs and wages, including for medical assistants. You'll find detailed info on salary ranges and job trends on their website.
2. PayScale - This online platform has salary data for all sorts of jobs, including medical assistants. They get their info from both employees and employers to give you the most accurate and current salary ranges.
3. Indeed - This well-known job search site also has salary info. They pull data from job postings, employee reports, and other sources to give you a good idea of what medical assistants are making in different places.
Just remember, even with all this info, salaries can still vary. Things like your own qualifications, any certifications you have, and your negotiation skills can all play a part.
Jeff Gallucci
Cybersecurity, Compliance, Risk and Regulatory Project Management
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Jeff’s Answer
Salaries for specific roles, like a medical assistant, will vary depending on the experience of the person, the location, and potentially the type of medical field in this case they are supporting (e.g., oncology vs. pediatrics). So while there will be a variety of factors that may influcence salary ranges, there are resources out there which do a decent job of giving an idea of what can be expected generally (Glassdoor is one that comes to mind).
Additionally, I recommend looking for roles you might be interested in on popular job networking/hunting sites, and you'll often see the salary ranges offered depending on the role and the state/location where the job is located (some states now have requirements to specific salary ranges when advertising for roles especially when the role is potentially available in multiple locations and especially if the salary will change depending on where the applicant is expecting to work).
Additionally, I recommend looking for roles you might be interested in on popular job networking/hunting sites, and you'll often see the salary ranges offered depending on the role and the state/location where the job is located (some states now have requirements to specific salary ranges when advertising for roles especially when the role is potentially available in multiple locations and especially if the salary will change depending on where the applicant is expecting to work).