Medical Assistant Wages and Pay

Medical assistants work primarily in outpatient settings, a rapidly growing sector of the healthcare industry. Employment growth will be driven by new laws, healthcare reform, the increase in the elderly population which causes an increase in the number of medical practices, clinics and other health care facilities that need high proportion of support personnel, particularly the flexible medical assistant who can handle both administrative and clinical duties.

The demand for medical assistants remained high in the year 2011. Employment rates in the medical and healthcare sector were up and higher than predicted. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that several strongly performing industries continue to lead in the nation's job growth. Healthcare added 41,000 new jobs in 2011. The average national hourly earnings jumped from $22.08 to $23.12.

The earnings of medical assistants varied, depending on their experience, skill level and location of employ. The average pay for medical assistants in 2006 rose to $11.05 an hour. Median annual earnings of medical assistants were $26,290. The middle 50 percent earned between $21,970 and $31,210. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,860, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $36,840. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of medical assistants in May 2006 were:

In 2001 the U.S. Department of Labor predicted that Medical Assisting would be one of the 10 fastest growing occupations through the year 2008 and stated that job prospects should be best for medical assistants with formal training or experience.

In 1999, there were about 450 medical assisting programs accredited by CAAHEP and over 140 accredited by ABHES. The Committee on Accreditation for Ophthalmic Medical Personnel accredited 14 programs in ophthalmic medical assisting. Growth in outpatient settings was much faster than average.

In 1998 medical assistants held about 252,000 jobs. Sixty-five percent were in physicians’ offices and 14 percent were in offices of other health practitioners, such as chiropractors, optometrists and podiatrists. The rest worked in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. The average pay for medical assistants in 1998 remained at $9.71 an hour, median annual earnings were $20,680. The middle 50 percent earned between $17,020 and $24,340 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $14,020 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $28,640 a year.

Medical assistants were already in high demand. In many cases it was easier for those with career specific training to obtain available jobs. The average pay for a medical assistant in 1997 was $9.71 an hour. The medical assistant's earnings varied depending on experience, skill level, and location. The median annual earnings in different segments of the industry were as follows:

MA Wage and Salary	1997 Earnings
Offices and clinics of medical doctors	$20,800
Hospitals	20,400
Offices of osteopathic physicians	19,600
Health and allied services, nec	19,300
Offices of other health practitioners	18,500

 

Source: U.S. Department of Labor