How Much Do Medical Assistants Make in Illinois?

If you’re thinking about becoming a medical assistant in Illinois, you might be wondering how much you can expect to earn. Here’s a look at the average medical assistant salary in Illinois, as well as some factors that can influence your earnings.

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Job Description

Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks in healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the size, location, and type of facility where they work. Most Medical Assistants work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, or clinics. A small number work in nursing care facilities, offices of other health practitioners, or in government health agencies.

Duties

Medical assistants are allied health professionals who work alongside physicians, mainly in outpatient facilities such as clinics and doctors’ offices. They perform both clinical and administrative tasks. The clinical duties of medical assistants may include but are not limited to taking patient medical histories and recording vital signs, preparing patients for examination, assisting the physician during the examination, collecting and processing laboratory specimens, performing basic laboratory tests, administering medications and removing sutures. Medical assistants may also be responsible for scheduling appointments, handling correspondence, updating and filing patient medical records handling billing and insurance matters and ordering supplies. Many medical assistants are also trained to take x-rays.

Education

As of May 2018, medical assistants in Illinois earned a mean annual salary of $35,850, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).1 This is higher than the nationwide mean annual salary for medical assistants, which was $33,610 as of May 2018.1 Salaries for medical assistants in Illinois varied depending on experience and education level.

Certification

Medical assistants in Illinois can earn certification through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To be eligible for certification, medical assistants must have graduated from an accredited medical assistant program and passed the AAMA’s Certification/Recertification Examination. Recertification is required every 60 months.

Salary

Medical assistants in Illinois earn an average salary of $34,530 per year, which is lower than the national average of $36,400. Medical assistants in the top 10th percentile earn salaries of $41,390 or more per year, while those in the bottom 10th percentile earn $28,790 or less per year.

Job Outlook

Job Outlook
Medical assistants held about 591,800 jobs in 2016. The largest employers of medical assistants were as follows:

Offices of physicians
General medical and surgical hospitals; state, local, and private
Outpatient care centers
Offices of other health practitioners
Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 29 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the Baby Boomer population ages, there will be a greater need for diagnostic testing and preventative medical services. In addition, as healthcare practitioners try to improve efficiency in their practices by doing more with less, they will require administrative support from medical assistants to perform tasks such as scheduling appointments and handling insurance billing and coding.

Pros and Cons

There are many reasons why people enter the healthcare field, but one of the most common is the potential for a good salary. Medical assistants are no exception – in fact, they are one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States If you’re considering a career as a medical assistant, you may be wondering how much you can expect to earn.

In Illinois, medical assistants earned an average annual salary of $35,760 in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is slightly higher than the national average for medical assistants, which was $35,500 in 2017. Of course, your actual salary will depend on factors such as your experience, education and location.

Medical assistants in Illinois can expect to earn a higher salary than those in many other states. However, there are some drawbacks to working as a medical assistant in Illinois. For instance, the cost of living in Illinois is higher than the national average. In addition, medical assistants in Illinois are not currently licensed or regulated by the state government.

Career Paths

There are many different career paths available to medical assistants in Illinois. Here are a few of the most common:

1. Clinical medical assistant: This type of medical assistant works in a clinical setting, such as a hospital or doctor’s office. They may perform tasks such as taking patient histories, scheduling appointments, and assisting with procedures.

2. Administrative medical assistant: This type of medical assistant works in an administrative capacity, handling tasks such as billing and coding, insurance claims, and patient records.

3. Specialty medical assistant: This type of medical assistant works in a specific area of medicine, such as pediatrics, cardiology, or OB/GYN. They may have additional training or certification in their chosen specialty.

4. Research medical assistant: This type of medical assistant works in a research setting, assisting scientists and physicians with research projects and clinical trials.

FAQs

To become a medical assistant, you will need at least a high school diploma or equivalent, although some jobs may require postsecondary education, and you will need to complete a brief period of on-the-job training. Medical assistants perform many administrative and clinical tasks in doctors’ offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.

What duties will I be responsible for as a medical assistant?
Medical assistants typically perform the following duties:
-Answering patients’ questions and providing them with instruction
-Updating patients’ medical records
-Scheduling patients’ appointments
-Arranging for laboratory tests and X-rays
-Taking patients’ vital signs
-Assisting physicians with examinations
-Performing routine office lab tests
What is the job outlook for medical assistants?
Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 19 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. The growing demand for healthcare services from an aging population will lead to an increased need for skilled medical assistants.

Glossary

There is a lot of variation in job descriptions for medical assistants, and therefore there is a lot of variation in compensation. In general, medical assistants in Illinois make between $33,610 and $39,550 per year. However, there are many factors that can affect how much a medical assistant makes, such as experience, location, and type of employer.