Like many other roles in the medical field, the job of medical assistant is growing thanks to a burgeoning industry. Students who choose to major in medical assistance should enjoy a strong work environment in the immediate future.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the occupation of medical assisting will grow faster than average through 2016, placing medical assistants among the fastest growing jobs overall. They predict that employment for medical assistants will grow by 35 percent over the next decade. What’s more, with professional certification and accreditation, job prospects get even better. As the post-war generation ages, there will be an increasing need for trained health workers, and coupled with a general increase in the use of medical assistants in facilitating medical offices, employment prospects look great for years.
A May 2008 survey by the Department of Labor showed that there were approximately 475,950 employed medical assistants working nationwide, with assistants earning an average hourly wage of $13.97 and annual wage of $29,060. However, the top earners reported salaries of $19.02 an hour or $39,570 a year. More than half of those employed as medical assistants worked in a physician’s office (294,380), with general medical and surgical hospitals following with about 59,000 people. Medical assistants also found employment at the offices of other health care practicioners, outpatient care centers, and even colleges, universities, and professonal schools. More medical assistants worked in California than any other state, though the District of Columbia offered medical assistants higher salaries than any place else.
Between the growing need for trained medical professionals and the increasing importance of assistants in health institutions, there’s never been a better time to consider a career in medical assistance.
