What Is the Career and Salary Outlook for a Medical Assistant?
The career outlook for medical assistants throughout the next 10 years is excellent, and experienced medical assistants who specialize in a particular area of health care are often highly sought-after. In fact, medical assistants have one of the fastest-growing professions in the nation. The overall employment of medical assistants is projected to grow by a whopping 34 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s higher anticipated employment growth even than registered nurses! The average annual salary for a medical assistant is $28,300, according to the Bureau. However, a number of factors can affect your salary as a medical assistant, including how many years of experience you have, what certifications you have, what region of the U.S. you live in, and whether you are working in a metropolitan or rural area. Medical assistants who hold associate degrees can generally command higher salaries than those who do not.
