According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assistant is one of the fastest growing career fields. They perform many varied duties within a physician’s office, hospital, or medical center. But their job roles are specific to each employer and vary from office to office. For this reason, medical assistant wages also vary quite a bit. There are several factors that influence a medical assistant’s pay.

Work Experience

Perhaps the most accurate analysis of medical assistant’s salaries, broken down by years of experience, is the 2009 report released by Payscale.com. They concluded that the median salary of medical assistants, from entry level to experienced, were as follows:

• Less than 1 year: $27,000
• 1-4 years: $28,374
• 5-9 years: $30,779
• 10-19 years: $31,015
• 20-plus years: $35,596

But experience level is not the whole story when it comes to medical assistant salaries.

Location

Geographic location is a big variable in the salaries of medical assistants. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report in 2008 that showed the breakdown of the average medical assistants’ salaries by state. There was quite a difference in the average annual salaries of medical assistants, depending on the state.

According to the BLS report, he average annual salary of medical assistants in Maine, for example was $28,710, in Ohio it was $28,300, and in New Jersey it was $35,990.

To find the average annual salary of medical assistants in your state, contact the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can find a complete listing of these salaries, by state, on their website.

Medical Industry Salaries

The industry in which a medical assistant works also significantly influences his or her salary. In that same 2008 report, the BLS listed the average salaries of medical assistants, broken down by industry. Like geographical location, the particular industry in which a medical assistant works has a huge effect on his or her salary. According to the report, the annual mean wages of medical assistant, by industry, are as follows:

• Dentists offices: $34,790
• Hospitals: $30,670
• Outpatient centers: $30,130
• Physicians’ offices: $29,960
• Other practitioners’ offices: $27,940

Is the Salary of Medical Assistants Fair?

You may consider a medical assistant’s salary to be low compared to other professions.
But wait…

Whether or not you find a medical assistant’s salary desirable, there’s another factor that you should consider about becoming a medical assistant—job security.

The BLS predicts a 35 percent increase in the medical assistant field over the 2006 to 2016 time period. This figure puts medical assisting firmly in the ranks of one the fastest growing occupations.

Moreover, there doesn’t seem much that could stop the growth of this occupation. Medical facilities are expanding on a daily basis. The aging population is living longer. Preventative medicine is becoming very popular.

All of this ensures that you will always have a job in medical assisting, if you want one, and that your job should be fairly secure. Plus you get to make a positive difference in many people’s lives. How great is that?

Top Medical Assisting Schools

Keiser University – The Associate of Science online degree in Medical Assisting prepares students to perform medical assisting duties.

Penn Foster College - This program educates students about: law and ethics in medicine, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and more.

San Joaquin Valley College – The Clinical Medical Assisting program at SJVC offers extensive back office training to provide support to physicians and direct patient care.

University of Phoenix – The Associate of Arts in Health Care Administration with an emphasis on Medical Records lays a foundation for further study in health care.