Other Healthcare Support Occupations

How to become a Medical Assistant

Official title: Medical Assistants

Also called: Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Chiropractor Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, Doctor's Assistant, Health Assistant, Ophthalmic Assistant, Ophthalmological Assistant, Optometric Assistant, Outpatient Surgery Assistant, Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)

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.

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

Medical assistants typically need postsecondary education, such as a certificate. Some enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training.

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Medical Assistant.
Apprenticeship: Podiatric Assistant.
Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist; Medical/Clinical Assistant; Anesthesiologist Assistant
Licence: A licence is required in 29 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $45,690 a year The middle half earn $38,470 to $49,180.
About 833,900 people work in this job now, and about 941,500 are projected by 2035. (+12.9%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistants typically need postsecondary education, such as a certificate. Some enter the occupation with a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training.

How much does a Medical Assistant earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $45,690 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $38,470 to $49,180.

Is a Medical Assistant a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 13% by 2035, from about 833,900 to about 941,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Medical Assistant?

Usually not. Only 17% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Medical Assistant.

Will AI change the work of a Medical Assistant?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.