Medical Assistant Jobs

Pay and demand for medical assistants

The median posted hourly pay for medical assistants is $20.65 an hour. The middle half of postings start between $18.00 an hour and $23.00 an hour. If you are hired on an annual salary, the median posted starting pay is $43,000 a year, with the middle range starting between $42,300 a year and $50,000 a year.

Hiring activity has moved up by 22% when comparing the last 30 days against the prior month, showing a change from 983 to 1,204 new postings. Employers posted 260 postings during the latest full week, compared to a weekly average of 256 over the last 8 weeks.

Who is hiring medical assistants

The employers with the most open postings for medical assistants are Trinity Health with 188 postings, followed by HCA Healthcare with 159, and Advocate Health with 127 postings.

Other top hiring organizations include Henry Ford Health System with 120 open positions, and AdventHealth with 112 open positions.

How to get hired as a medical assistant

Requirements depend on your experience and credentials. Postings marked as entry level or new grad make up 32% of the market. Among postings that specify a minimum experience level, the median requirement is 1 year. A bachelor's degree is rarely required, appearing in under 1% of postings that mention degrees.

• Obtain a BLS or CPR certification, which is requested by 32% of open postings.
• Earn a medical assistant certification (CMA, CCMA or RMA), a requirement in 20% of postings.
• Highlight your proficiency in vital signs collection (required in 10% of postings) and computer skills (requested in 10% of postings).
• Be prepared to demonstrate experience in medication administration (9%) and phlebotomy (9%).
• Ensure your resume notes skills in patient care (8%) and knowledge of medical terminology (8%).

Interview questions for medical assistants

Employers will ask questions to evaluate your clinical skills, patient communication, and administrative abilities. Expect questions that test how you handle stressful situations in a medical setting.

• A patient becomes extremely anxious and refuses to let you draw their blood. How do you handle this situation to ensure safety and comfort?
• Describe a time when a physician gave you medication instructions that seemed unclear or contradictory. What steps did you take to verify the details?
• You are recording a patient's blood pressure and notice it is significantly higher than their historical baseline. What is your immediate next step?
• The clinic is short-staffed, the waiting room is full of patients, and several phone lines are ringing. How do you prioritize your administrative duties?
• Tell me about a time you had to deliver difficult scheduling or administrative news to an angry patient. How did you de-escalate their frustration?

Where the jobs are for medical assistants

Geographically, the states with the most open postings for medical assistants are Pennsylvania with 347 postings, Florida with 335, and Michigan with 273 postings.

Additional opportunities are concentrated in New York with 243 postings, and California with 204. At the metropolitan level, the top cities are New York, NY (42), Pittsburgh, PA (41), Boise, ID (38), Tampa, FL (37), and Green Bay, WI (30).

Remote and hybrid roles are extremely rare in this field. Only under 1% of postings offer fully remote work (3 postings), and under 1% offer hybrid arrangements (32 postings).

Questions people ask

How much do medical assistants make?

The median posted hourly rate for medical assistants is $20.65 an hour, and the middle half of postings offer starting pay between $18.00 an hour and $23.00 an hour.

What certifications do medical assistants need?

Employers commonly ask for a BLS or CPR certification, which is found in 32% of postings. Additionally, 20% of listings require a medical assistant certification (CMA, CCMA or RMA).

Who hires medical assistants?

Leading employers include Trinity Health, which has 188 active listings, and HCA Healthcare with 159 listings. Other active hiring organizations are Advocate Health, Henry Ford Health System, and AdventHealth.

Where are the most jobs for medical assistants?

The state with the highest volume of listings is Pennsylvania with 347 postings, followed by Florida with 335. The top metropolitan area for postings is New York, NY with 42 open roles.