How much money does a medical assistant make? Why is that important? Well, today, many people are consumed with making more money. It can be very difficult to make ends meet in this world. Due to this, many are looking at new jobs, new career paths, and are investigating the possibility of going back to school.
One area that is really exploding is the medical industry. Due to the rising population of the elderly, there is a greater need for medical employees each and every year. This job security attracts many people to the medical field for good reason.
One such industry in the medical field is that of medical assisting. This field is expected to grow 35% from 2006 to 2016, a large increase indeed!
Due to this growth, many have decided to go to school or to try and get a job as a medical assistant. But how much money can you realistically make at this job? Have you heard that nurses make more money and therefore, are considering that avenue?
The average salary of a medical assistant is somewhere around 29,000. Although this is a decent salary, you are not guaranteed to make that much money. On the other hand, you can make upwards of 40,000 as a medical assistant as well. What are the reasons for the divergence in payscale?
Let’s analyze three things that will great affect your salary:
1. Location – Where you work will play a significant part in your salary, and this is something you may not be able to control. The cost of living, the price of housing and the overall job market will affect the money that is there to be made. There isn’t much you can do to affect this factor, aside from moving to an area that pays more money. However, since the housing prices will probably rise accordingly, this may not make much sense.
2. Experience and Education – Have you ever worked in the medical field? Are you an entry-level applicant? This can play a large part in how much money you make. Also, if you have a medical assistant certification, you will command a much higher salary than if you are just coming off of the street with no experience at all. An excellent way to get good pay is to go to school and get a certification. This can be done in as little as one year.
3. Field of specialty – If you just become a general medical assistant, you will have more job opportunities, but you may not have a high salary. On the other hand, if you get into a very specialized field, like ophthalmology, podiatry, or dentistry, you can command a much higher salary. However, understand that if you do get into a specialized field, there won’t be as many job openings and it may be a little harder to find work.
The medical assisting field isn’t going to get you rich, but it is a very stable and secure job. Another good thing about this industry, is that you are working in doctor’s offices and hospitals, so you may see other fields that you want to move into and advance your career.
Getting into the medical field is a very smart decision in today’s world, with so much economic uncertainty surrounding us. Hopefully this information will help you to understand how much a medical assistant certification makes, and you will use this information to benefit yourself.