Career
Medical assistants
Keep a medical office running, from front desk to exam room.
$45,690
Median pay
+12.9%
Job growth, 2025–35
109,700
Openings a year
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education
Under 2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $45,690 a year and 109,700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Health AdministrationSee the degree →
- Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/SpecialistCIP 51.0711
- Medical/Clinical AssistantCIP 51.0801
- Anesthesiologist AssistantCIP 51.0809
- Chiropractic Technician/AssistantCIP 51.0813
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Surgical Assistants$66,800 · +6.1%
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$45,570 · +21.4%
- Registered Nurses$97,550 · +5.6%
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400 · +3.0%
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$74,310 · +3.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.