Job Duties
What does a medical assistant do? A lot. You’ll be busy with both clinical and administrative responsibilities, performing general patient care, and playing a key role in keeping healthcare facilities running smoothly. A day in the life of you (as a medical assistant) might include the following:
Patient Work
- Providing wound care
- Assisting with sutures and fractures
- Performing phlebotomy
- Obtaining vital signs
- Administering medications
- Assisting during procedures
- Labeling and processing specimens
- Preparing patients for and performing EKGs
Administrative Work
- Answering telephones
- Managing medical records
- Processing health insurance
- Doing billing and bookkeeping
- Scheduling appointments
- Overseeing waiting rooms
- Arranging hospital admissions and lab services
Pay Scale
Salaries vary by employer, location, and experience, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assistants earn an average of $38,270 per year.*
Industry Demand
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for medical assistants will grow 14% in the next 10 years.*
Documents
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*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. “Medical Assistants.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed March 25, 2024.
Statements found in the United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook are not a guarantee of any post-graduation salary, in part because the data used to create the Occupational Outlook Handbook includes workers from differing educational backgrounds, levels of experience, and geographic areas of the country.