Medical Assistants
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.
Also called: Autopsy Assistant, Bilingual Medical Assistant, Cardiology Medical Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Chiropractic Assistant, Chiropractor Assistant
Median pay
$45,690
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$36,050 – $59,310
People employed
817,870
Holland code
CSR
Conventional · Social · Realistic
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 2.Do you prefer working indoors?
- 3.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 4.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
- 5.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 6.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
The hard parts
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
- Tight deadlines are common
Medical Assistants pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What medical assistants do
- 01Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- 02Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- 03Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- 04Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- 05Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
- 06Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Writing
Knowledge
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs vocational training or an associate degree (O*NET Job Zone 3).
- Related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from medical assistants
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses92% · +41%
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians86% · 0%
- Ophthalmic Medical Technologists86% · group pay
- Registered Nurses84% · +114%
- Medical Records Specialists84% · +12%
Change into medical assistants
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Medical Records Specialists87% · $51,140
- Pharmacy Technicians87% · $45,750
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians86% · $45,570
- Ophthalmic Medical Technologists86% · $50,290
- Nursing Assistants82% · $42,260
Majors that lead here
- Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist
- Medical/Clinical Assistant
- Anesthesiologist Assistant
- Chiropractic Technician/Assistant
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.