Medical Assistant Career Development Options

Professional medical assistants are trained in a wide variety of areas, which include medicine, medical insurance, patient care, laboratory procedures, bacteriology and bookkeeping. This means that medical assistant graduates are qualified to work in a number of capacities within the health care industry.

Qualified medical assistants may also find employment and career destinations in outpatient surgical centers, emergency service organizations, urgent care centers, medical supply businesses, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, medical assistant career outlook statistics indicate that roughly 62 percent of medical assistants in the U.S. work in physicians' offices, 12 percent are employed in private and public hospitals, and 11 percent of medical assistants work in offices of other health care practitioners.

Earnings can also vary for medical assistants depending on personal experience, local job market factors, education and a personal commitment to excellence. As recently as May 2008, the median annual of wage and salary of medical assistant professionals was $28,300.*

Medical assistant career outlook opportunities are promising in such areas as hospitals, colleges and universities, physicians’ offices, outpatient facilities and other offices of health practitioners. Medical assistants can even take their career possibilities further and secure the education and training to become a registered nurse (RN), medical records technician, medical data assistant and more.

*June 10, 2008, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook.