Are you looking through different medical assistant schools, trying to determine what the best course of action for yourself is? The reason that medical assisting is so popular is because it is a quick way for the average person to get into the medical field. Due to the bad economy, it can be difficult to find an industry that isn’t cutting back.
The healthcare industry certainly isn’t cutting back! In fact, from 2006 to 2016, it is expected that the employment of medical assistants is going to grow 35%! There are many reasons for this growth: An aging population due to advances in healthcare, medicinal advances, and the continual opening of new clinics and doctors offices.
So what kind of salary can a medical assistant hope to get?
The median salary for a medical assistant is $29,631.00. However, as you might expect, you can make much more than that, and also much less. So what are the determining factors for the range of salary for medical assistants?
Well on the low end, a person can start out at less than 24,000 dollars per year for full-time employees. This salary is usually going to be given to those job applicants that have minimal experience and are just getting their foot in the door. A person with little to no training can expect to be paid in the bottom 10% of the field average.
Also, location plays a big part in things as well. If the cost of living is low where you live, you will probably find that your salary will be lower than that of a medical assistant in a large town, or an affluent area.
On the high end, those medical assistants with associate degrees and/or lots of experience can make salaries ranging from 35,000 to 40,000. These types of salaries may also go to assistants in very affluent areas where the cost of living is very high.
Opportunities for Advancement
The opportunities for advancement are very high. Especially in large clinics or in hospitals, one can advance to the position of an office manager. This can bring about a significant raise in pay.
A medical assistant can also many times use their medical assistant schooling to get bachelor’s degrees. Nursing and medical technology are two areas where additional schooling can bring about a very high level of pay increase.
As you can see, the salary of a medical assistant is what you would expect for an entry-level job. The experience however, can set up a person for more lucrative careers in the future, as the medical field is full of opportunity. Becoming a medical assistant is a great way to get started in this industry, and working in clinics also can help a person decide which area of the medical field they’d like to go into or specialize in.
Medical assistant schools are a great way to get started in the industry, and it is highly recommended to get 2 year associates degrees, especially if you want to later continue your schooling and have more opportunities for growth.