Medical Assistant

What it pays in the U.S.

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.

Wage figures are 2025 survey data for United States, shown nationally because no state figure was reported. They describe what people in this job earn now, not what any one person will be offered.

What the work actually is

• Perform general office duties, such as answering telephones, taking dictation, or completing insurance forms.
• Operate x-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG), or other equipment to administer routine diagnostic tests.
• Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
• Schedule appointments for patients.
• Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.
• Greet and log in patients arriving at office or clinic.

Read the full Occupational Outlook Handbook entry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Licensing, by state

Licensing is set by each state, so there is no national answer. Choose a state above to see which licenses it requires for this career, or look one up with the CareerOneStop License Finder.

Certifications employers recognize

These are national certifications, issued by industry bodies rather than a state. Most are optional, but they are how you prove skill to an employer.

• MEDIC First Aid

  HSI · Core

• Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant

  National Center for Competency Testing · Core

• Nationally Certified Insurance and Coding Specialist

  National Center for Competency Testing · Core

• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant

  National Healthcareer Association · Core

• Nationally Certified Patient Care Technician

  National Center for Competency Testing · Core

• Advanced Medical Life Support

  National Association Of Emergency Medical Technicians · Advanced

• Medical Assistant Certification

  American Medical Certification Association · Core

• Certified Clinical & Administrative Medical Assistant

  MedCA Certifications · Advanced

• Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist

  American Medical Billing Association · Core

• Functional Training Specialty Certification

  American Council on Exercise · Specialty

• Certified Medical Administrative Assistant

  National Healthcareer Association · Core

• Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant

  National Healthcareer Association · Core

Apprenticeships, by state

Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. Each state runs its own registration office, which is where to start when you want to find an open program.

Choose a state above to see the offices that register apprenticeships there.

Search open programs directly at apprenticeship.gov.