With a strong 23% increase in medical assistant jobs over the next decade according to bls.gov, CMA employment will be sought after and very desirable. The employment outlook is strong and the salary is very competitive as you can see below.
Did you Know Medical Assistant Jobs are in Demand?
There have been multiple surveys done by healthcare providers and research firms like the Healthcare Intelligence Network that showed that (CMA) Certified Medical Assistants are critical parts of the functioning medical facility.
This made employers hire more medical assistants and set up their facilities using more CMAs than ever before! Also, the baby boomer generation is pushing the healthcare system to the max, and that will only keep the demand high for decades! Click on the tabs below for more great information about being a working medical assistant and how to go about finding medical assistant jobs.
Medical Assistant Job and Salary Outlook
As stated above, the growth is astounding! The salary is growing and is competitive! CMAprograms.org is very excited about the future of what we consider the jack-of-all-trades position in healthcare.
CMA Job Data
| Certified Medical Assistants | Data from www.bls.gov |
|---|---|
| 2015 Median Annual Salary | $30,590 |
| 2015 Median Hourly Wage | $14.71 |
| Entry-Level Education Requirement | Postsecondary non-degree award |
| Total Employment in 2014 | 591,300 |
| Employment Change by 2024 | 138,900 |
| Percent Change in Employment | 23% |
Skills That Make you More Employable
The more work experience and credentials you have as a medical assistant, the more you it will help separate you from the “pack” in this tough medical assistant jobs market. Below we list what have been considered by payscale.com as the biggest factors in deciding pay for medical assistants.
Skills That Make you a Better Job Candidate
| Job Skills | Avg. Increase in Pay |
|---|---|
| Cardiology | 7% |
| Family Practice | 5% |
| Family Practice/Pediatrics | 5% |
| Pediatrics | 5% |
| Electronic Medical Records (EMR) | 4% |
| Patient Education | 4% |
| Triage | 4% |
| Internal Medicine | 4% |
| Scheduling | 3% |
| Obstetrics/Gynecology (OB/GYN) | 3% |
| Phlebotomy | 2% |
| Customer Service | 2% |
| Office Administration | 1% |
| Microsoft Office | 1% |
Big Cities That Pay Higher Than the National Average
Not unlike other positions, medical assistant jobs do pay more in bigger cities. We break out which ones pay above the national average on average below.
Cities That Pay Higher Salaries
| City and Surrounding Area Name | Avg. Hourly Pay | Avg. Yearly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $20.76 | $43,180 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $20.46 | $42,560 |
| San Francisco, CA | $19.61 | $40,800 |
| Oakland, CA | $19.38 | $40,310 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $19.37 | $40,300 |
| Fairbanks, AK | $19.32 | $40,180 |
| Rochester, MN | $19.12 | $39,780 |
| Boston, MA | $19.02 | $39,570 |
| Anchorage, AK | $18.58 | $38,640 |
| Seattle WA | $18.25 | $37,960 |
Resources for CMA Employment
Here are the links to the leading medical assistant job websites. We have made it easy for you by putting them all in the same place with the link going to the medical assistant page. No searching necessary! Good luck on getting medical assistant jobs!
Top Resources for Finding a CMA Job
Payscale.com
Glassdoor.com
Monster.com
Indeed.com
Simplyhired.com
Careerbuilder.com
BLS.gov
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