Occupation salary profile

Medical Assistants

SOC 31-9092 BLS OEWS May 2025

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. Excludes “Physician Assistants” (29-1071).

National median · BLS
$45,690
▲ +3.37% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$46,120
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
817,870
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Medical Assistants

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$36,050
25th$38,470
Median (50th)$45,690
75th$49,180
90th — top pay$59,310

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Medical Assistants

BLS projects employment of medical assistants to grow 12.9% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 109,700 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
833,900 → 941,500
+107,600 jobs
Projected change
+12.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
109,700
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a postsecondary certificate (nondegree award) →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Medical Assistants

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Social Perceptiveness4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Speaking3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.6
  • Coordination3.5
  • Monitoring3.5
  • Service Orientation3.5
  • Writing3.4
  • Active Learning3.3
Top knowledge areas
  • English Language4.8
  • Customer and Personal Service4.5
  • Medicine and Dentistry4.3
  • Administrative4.1
  • Computers and Electronics3.8
  • Education and Training3.5
  • Public Safety and Security3.2
  • Therapy and Counseling3.0
Software and technology used
Epic SystemsMicrosoft Office softwareeClinicalWorks EHR softwareIntuit QuickBooksMEDITECH softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft WordAppointment scheduling softwareBilling softwareBookkeeping softwareBusiness software applicationsData entry softwareDatabase softwareDiagnostic and procedural coding software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: 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.

About the job

What medical assistants do

  • 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.
Also called
Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)Chiropractor AssistantDoctor's AssistantRegistered Medical Assistant (RMA)Clinical Medical AssistantHealth AssistantOphthalmic AssistantOphthalmological AssistantOptometric AssistantOutpatient Surgery Assistant
More job titles for this occupation (32)
Autopsy AssistantBilingual Medical AssistantCardiology Medical AssistantChiropractic AssistantClient Services CoordinatorClinic AssistantClinic Medical AssistantDermatology Medical AssistantDoctor AssistantFamily Medicine Medical AssistantHealth Unit ClerkHospital Clinic AssistantMedical Assistant (MA)Medical Office WorkerMedical Support AssistantMedical Technician Assistant (Medical Tech Assistant)OB/GYN Medical Assistant (Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Assistant)Ocular Care AideOphthalmic AideOptometric AideOptometrist AssistantOptometry AssistantOrthopedic AssistantOrthopedic Medical AssistantPediatric Medical AssistantPhysician's AidePodiatric AidePodiatric AssistantPodiatrist AssistantPrimary Care Medical AssistantRespiratory Therapist AssistantUrgent Care Medical Assistant

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.