Healthcare Support
Medical Assistants
Also called: Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Chiropractor Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, Doctor's Assistant
US median pay
$45,690
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+12.9%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
109,700
833,900 employed
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
- Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.
- Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures.
- Perform routine laboratory tests and sample analyses.
- Greet and log in patients arriving at office or clinic.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Service Orientation3.5/5
- Coordination3.5/5
- Instructing3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Persuasion2.8/5
Knowledge
- English Language4.8/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.5/5
- Medicine and Dentistry4.3/5
- Administrative4.1/5
- Computers and Electronics3.8/5
- Education and Training3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): Postsecondary nondegree award.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Post-secondary certificate45%
- High school diploma21%
- Bachelor's degree17%
Who this job suits
Mostly Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.