Factors that Affect Medical Assistant Salaries There are many things that play a part in determining medical assistant salaries. This is true not only in the medical assistant field, but for any job you pursue. For instance, your geographic location can be a major factor in your earning potential. If you lived in a city where the cost of living were high, the average medical assistant salaries in your area would probably be higher than if you lived in a rural area where the cost of living were lower. Other things that may affect your medical assistant salary include the following: - What kind of employer you have (for example a hospital versus a private clinic)
- Level of education
- Previous work experience
- Area of specialty
- Medical assistant certification
As you start your medical assistant career, you'll want to find information about average salaries for job positions in your area similar to the ones you are competing for. This will give you a good basis for negotiating your salary with prospective employers. Average Medical Assistant Salaries While salaries are tailored to each person's unique circumstances, you can get a good idea of what to expect from the national averages for medical assistant salaries. According to Salary.com, human resource data in March 2009 indicated that the middle 50 percent of medical assistants earn between $26,129 and $30,980. The top 10 percent of earners in the medical assistant field earn $33,335 or more.  Career Outlook for Medical Assistants The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) anticipates that medical assisting will be among the fastest growing careers through 2016. With about 417,000 medical assistants working in the field (as of 2006) and projected employment growth at 35 percent, this is a great time to seek medical assistant training and get started in this promising field. The BLS reports that the majority of medical assistants work in physicians' offices. The chart below shows the distribution of medical assistants working with different types of employers. Where Medical Assistants Work Medical Assistant Career Paths Experienced medical assistants may be promoted to office manager or clinical supervisor. Other career paths for medical assistants include teaching medical assisting, nursing, medical laboratory technician, social work, public health or health services management.  |
