How To Increase Your Medical Assistant Salary

Not surprisingly, many questions arise when people first begin their medical assistant salary research. A common question is, "How can I increase my medical assistant salary?" With the recent economic downturn, many medical assistants and other health care workers are wondering what steps to take for optimum career growth. One option is to increase your medical assistant education, by completing a medical assistant certification program or other Medical Education and training. If you're ready to move on from the salary of a medical assistant, it could be the perfect time to pursue a Nursing Degree or other Health Care Education program. If you're just getting started as a medical assistant, education can provide a competitive edge when it comes to applying for jobs or negotiating salary offers.

Medical Assistant Salary Data

Medical assistants are employed in numerous health care settings, including private practices, community health clinics and hospitals. Specific responsibilities vary depending on employment setting, but usually involve a combination of clerical and clinical tasks. Medical assistants work closely with patients, often taking vital signs, recording medical histories and performing other basic medical tasks. Performing administrative duties and supporting the members of a health care team may also be part of a medical assistant's role. There is no question that medical assistants play a crucial part in keeping a medical office running smoothly and providing quality health care.

Because medical assistants have various job options, there may be differences in the salary of a medical assistant depending on industry, location, and specific responsibilities. Medical assistant salaries are typically lower than Physician Assistant Salaries. This is due to the higher level of training and certification needed to become a physician assistant as well as more advanced duties performed on the job. Becoming a medical assistant does not require a license, but most medical assistants choose to take the exam to become a certified medical assistant. While not a requirement, completing a certification shows potential employers that an applicant is prepared, and may lead to a higher medical assistant salary. See the Medical Assistant Salary by Degree/Major Subject report to compare the salary of a medical assistant with certification to the salary of a medical assistant without. In addition to education and training, medical assistants learn a great deal from first-hand experience. For good reason, the starting salary of a medical assistant will generally be lower than the average medical assistant's salary after many years of experience. Researching the median Medical Assistant Salary by Years of Experience shows a medical assistant salary progression over the course of 20 years.

Salary of a Medical Assistant by Location

Measuring the Salary of a Medical Assistant by State shows that New York currently has the highest average salary. Medical assistant jobs in New York city are also high; according to the Medical Assistant Salary by City chart, the highest average salary medical assistant professionals will find is in the Big Apple. Keep in mind, though, that New York has a higher cost of living than pretty much every other city in the United States. Use PayScale's Cost of Living Calculator to find both Cost of Living and Medical Assistant Salary Data for New York and other cities.

Average Salary of a Medical Assistant

Dr. Al Lee, Ph.D. wouldn't be at home in the examining room. However, PayScale's resident "Dr. Salary" has the answers when it comes to questions about compensation. In fact, this is one doctor who can assist the assistant! Discover why researching "median medical assistant salary" is more productive than researching "average salary medical assistant" in his article, "Why is Median Better than Mean for a Typical Salary?"