How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make Per Hour?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for Medical assistants was $16.05 in May 2018. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $10.71, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $24.00.

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Job Description

A medical assistant is a person who has been trained to perform certain tasks in order to support the work of doctors and other medical professionals. The duties of a medical assistant may vary depending on the state in which they work, but generally they perform administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, billing patients, and handling insurance paperwork. They may also perform clinical tasks such as taking vital signs, drawing blood, and giving injections.

Duties

Medical assistants perform both clinical and administrative tasks in doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Depending on their employer’s needs and their own qualifications and interests, they may perform one type of duty or a combination of both.

Clinical duties may include taking and recording patients’ vital signs; preparing patients for examination; collecting and processing lab specimens; performing basic lab tests; instructing patients about medications and special diets; scheduling appointments; arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services; handling correspondence; drawing blood; applying dressings; removing sutures; preparing patients for X rays; relaying instructions from the doctor to the patient, and providing postoperative care.

Administrative duties may include answering telephones, handling insurance forms and coding, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, making travel arrangements for patients who need to see specialists, maintaining supplies, handling bills and bookkeeping, training new medical assistants, and supervising office staff.

Qualifications

In order to become a medical assistant, one must have a high school diploma or equivalent, although some positions may require postsecondary education, and most medical assistants complete a postsecondary education program. After completing an accredited program, medical assistants must pass a credentialing exam to earn their certification. Some states also have licensure requirements for medical assistants.

Salary

Medical assistants are in high demand and earn a good salary. The median hourly wage for a medical assistant was $15.02 in May 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The top 10 percent of earners made more than $20.59 per hour, while the bottom 10 percent made less than $10.35 per hour.

Career Outlook

The career outlook for medical assistants is bright, with the profession expected to grow by 29% from 2019-2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.1 As the healthcare industry expands to meet the needs of an aging population, there will be an increasing demand for medical assistants to perform administrative and clinical tasks in doctors’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities.

Medical assistants earn a median hourly wage of $16.26.2 The highest paid 10% earn more than $24.00 per hour, while the lowest paid 10% earn less than $10.58.2 Wages vary by employer, geographic location, and level of experience.

Education

Medical assistants are one of the most versatile allied health professions. They perform administrative duties, such as scheduling appointments and managing Medical records They also perform clinical duties, such as taking vital signs, administering injections and performing basic laboratory tests. Most medical assistants have postsecondary education, although some may be trained on the job.

Certification

The average medical assistant hourly wage is $16.05.

There are many variables that can affect how much a medical assistant makes per hour. The most important factor is certification. Medical assistants who are certified can expect to earn significantly more than those who are not certified. Other factors that can affect hourly wages include experience, location, and the type of employer.

Skills

In order to be a successful medical assistant, you will need to have certain skills. These include being able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, being able to understand and follow oral and written instructions, being detail oriented, being able to work independently as well as part of a team, being organized, being able to multi-task, being able to handle stress well, being computer literate and having good customer service skills. If you have these skills, you will be on your way to a successful career as a medical assistant.

Work Schedule

The medical assistant’s work schedule will vary depending on the employer. Some medical assistants work in physicians’ offices, which are usually open during normal business hours. Others work in hospitals or other health care facilities, which may require evening, weekend, or holiday shifts. Many medical assistants also work part time.

Job outlook

The job outlook for medical assistants is bright, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 23 percent growth in employment opportunities between 2016 and 2026. This is much faster than the average for all occupations. The demand for medical assistants is driven by the aging baby boom population, which will need more medical care as they age. In addition, as more people have access to health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there will be an increased demand for medical assistants and other health care professionals.