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Medical Assistants
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
Other titles employers use
Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) · Chiropractor Assistant · Clinical Medical Assistant · Doctor's Assistant · Health Assistant · Ophthalmic Assistant · Ophthalmological Assistant · Optometric Assistant
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
- Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, helping and practical work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Near Vision
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.3 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 2.9 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.3 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 2.5 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a postsecondary certificate. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A certificate or some college 62%
- High school or less 21%
- A four-year degree 17%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail software
- Document management software
- Accounting software
- Office suite software
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 135,700
- Job openings each year
- 18,280
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 25.6%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 135,700 | 18,280 | 25.6% |
| Texas | 83,570 | 11,250 | 25.2% |
| Florida | 72,800 | 9,760 | 22.7% |
| New York | 44,680 | 940 | 26.8% |
| Georgia | 32,280 | 4,320 | 22.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 31,740 | 4,180 | 13.7% |
| Michigan | 27,830 | 3,660 | 12.8% |
| Arizona | 27,010 | 3,690 | 33.7% |
| North Carolina | 25,580 | 3,430 | 22.5% |
| Ohio | 24,220 | 3,160 | 9.0% |
| Illinois | 24,040 | 3,140 | 10.7% |
| New Jersey | 23,370 | 3,100 | 17.9% |
| Indiana | 23,170 | 3,060 | 14.6% |
| Tennessee | 22,090 | 2,960 | 23.1% |
| Washington | 20,030 | 3,010 | 19.8% |
| Virginia | 18,490 | 2,470 | 20.3% |
| Maryland | 16,660 | 2,200 | 15.7% |
| Wisconsin | 15,380 | 2,040 | 18.3% |
| Kentucky | 14,920 | 1,970 | 14.0% |
| Alabama | 14,860 | 1,970 | 17.2% |
| Oregon | 14,520 | 1,940 | 21.4% |
| Utah | 14,440 | 2,000 | 43.5% |
| South Carolina | 14,260 | 1,910 | 23.9% |
| Colorado | 14,250 | 1,910 | 22.7% |
| Minnesota | 13,780 | 1,810 | 13.1% |
| Missouri | 13,030 | 1,700 | 11.0% |
| Louisiana | 12,060 | 1,580 | 12.3% |
| Connecticut | 11,420 | 1,500 | 13.5% |
| Oklahoma | 11,030 | 1,450 | 12.2% |
| New Mexico | 9,130 | 1,240 | 31.9% |
| Nevada | 8,910 | 1,180 | 15.7% |
| Massachusetts | 6,290 | 830 | 15.2% |
| Iowa | 6,130 | 820 | 22.1% |
| Kansas | 5,380 | 710 | 13.0% |
| Arkansas | 5,130 | 680 | 20.1% |
| Idaho | 4,940 | 670 | 28.3% |
| West Virginia | 4,610 | 610 | 15.5% |
| Maine | 4,490 | 580 | 6.9% |
| Mississippi | 4,080 | 540 | 10.9% |
| Rhode Island | 3,600 | 470 | 11.5% |
| Delaware | 3,440 | 460 | 21.6% |
| New Hampshire | 3,140 | 420 | 15.4% |
| Nebraska | 3,030 | 400 | 13.9% |
| District of Columbia | 2,960 | 390 | 18.4% |
| Montana | 2,490 | 330 | 24.5% |
| Alaska | 2,340 | 310 | 10.9% |
| Vermont | 1,420 | 180 | 10.9% |
| South Dakota | 1,160 | 150 | 16.0% |
| Wyoming | 1,150 | 150 | 17.3% |
| Puerto Rico | 930 | 130 | 24.0% |
| North Dakota | 570 | 80 | 16.3% |
| Guam | 370 | 50 | 23.3% |
| Virgin Islands | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 462
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 1,116
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 1,064
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
University of Connecticut
- Degrees each year
- 225
- Admit rate
- 54%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
University of Central Florida
- Degrees each year
- 333
- Admit rate
- 40%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Degrees each year
- 263
- Admit rate
- 80%
- Annual cost after aid
- $14,000
University of Maryland Global Campus
- Degrees each year
- 221
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- —
CUNY Lehman College
- Degrees each year
- 197
- Admit rate
- 55%
- Annual cost after aid
- $7,000
Compare every college offering allied health and medical assisting services