Medical assistant jobs are crucial to the infrastructure of the medical community. Medical assistants provide the base level of work that all other medical careers build on. They are responsible for most of the office work and tedious tasks in hospitals, doctors, offices, private practices, and more. If you have been looking for a job that you can get into quickly, this may be the perfect solution for you. Here is a look at what you may be a part of if you get a medical assistant job.

Training for Medical Assistant Jobs

For the most part, you will need an associate’s degree to work as a medical assistant. Most medical assistant jobs require some type of formal education for their employees. This is not always the case, as there are jobs open to those without any training at all. Those are rare though, so you will need to strongly consider getting a degree if you wish to work in this field.

You can choose to go to school on the internet, in a vocational school, or through a traditional college campus. Regardless of what you choose to do, you will likely spend one to two years getting the training you need for work. Some students spend four or more years getting their education, but that is because they plan to specialize in their work. If you just want to become a general medical assistant, two years of training should be sufficient.

Places of Work for Medical Assistant Jobs

Medical assistants work in a variety of venues for the medical field. Many of them work in hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices, but others work in physical therapy clinics, labs, pharmacies, nursing homes, home health facilities, and assisted living residences. As a medical assistant, you can basically work anywhere a doctor or lead medical staff member is. You will take over all of the small tasks that he or she needs help with, making him or her more productive on a day to day basis. The tasks that you do in your job will largely be based on the place you work, as will the money that you earn.

The most popular employers offering medical assistant jobs include Family Practice Clinic, Planned Parenthood, Kaiser Permanente, Concentra Medical Center Inc., and Ob Gyn Associates. You can choose to work with one of those employers or others that may be closer to your place of residence.

Locations for Medical Assistant Jobs

You will find medical assistant jobs in high demand across the country. The most popular cities for medical assistant jobs are:

• Houston, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Chicago, Illinois
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Seattle, Washington
• San Antonio, Texas
• Phoenix, Arizona

The most popular states for medical assistant jobs include:

• California
• Texas
• Florida
• Michigan
• Ohio
• Georgia
• Pennsylvania

Note that those areas also have a high level of competition because of the immense job opportunities they have to offer. With a solid medical assistant certification though, you should not have much trouble finding work in this field.

Demographics for Medical Assistant Jobs

Women make up 95% of medical assistants in the work force today, but men are becoming more prominent in this career field as time progresses. That may be largely due to the high demand for medical assistants at this time, and the extensive duties medical assistants can take on. This job is no longer about strictly keeping track of patient records. It may involve much more exhausting tasks that men are often drawn to.

Pay Scales for Medical Assistant Jobs

According to PayScale.com, a certified medical assistant earns between $20,000 and $37,000 a year, with hourly rates ranging from $9.67 to $16.64 an hour. You may make more or less than that based on your job experience and place of work. Medical assistants with over 20 years of experience earn between $24,700 and $56,200 a year, so there is room for improvement. You just have to be dedicated to this job and take on any job opportunities that come your way.

Conclusion

Medical assistant jobs can be highly rewarding, both financially and emotionally. If you want a career that you can start shortly, this is certainly a field of work to look into. You can find employment in virtually any area of the medical field, and you can work with a lot of wonderful people along the way. Whether you have a passion for patient care or you just want a stable paycheck you can rely on, medical assisting careers are right for you.