Factors Affecting Medical Assistant Salary

It has been long known that becoming a medical assistant is one of the most common trends in the society which could probably be best explained by the great medical assistant salary that a person receives in this career. A medical assistant performs a wide variety of duties in a physician’s office, hospitals or private clinics. Their responsibilities vary basing on the institution they work for and ofcourse, the clients they are working with. At the same degree, medical assistant salary also differs depending on the extent or depth of the responsibilities they assume or shoulder as a health care giver.

In a typical setting, the medical assistant salary is lower than the salary of a physician assistant. This could be best explained by the higher level of training and certification requirements of a physician assistant as compared to that of a medical assistant. One doesn’t need a license to become a medical assistant. However, you have to an examination in order to become a certified medical assistant. This means that you will have an easier entry during employment since being certified can give employers the idea that you are equipped with knowledge, skills and attitude to work for them. Furthermore, being certified can more likely increase your medical assistant salary.

If we take a closer look at this topic, there are some factors that affect the medical assistant salary range. Let us go over the factors that affect medical assistant salary one by one.

Medical Assistant Salary  - Work Experience

The first factor noted for varying medical assistant salary is work experience. Experts say that this is perhaps the most accurate analysis of the issue on why the medical assistant salary differs from one employer to another. According to Payscale.com, the average medical assistant salaries in the year 2009 based on work experience is dynamic. For employers who have just started with the work and has not yet reached a year, his estimated medical assistant salary is $27,000. Medical assistants who have been in the field for about 1-4 years, an average amount of $28,374 is expected annually. While for professionals who have been working for approximately 5-9 years, they are given a medical assistant salary of $30,779. Greater salary awaits for medical assistants who have been in the work industry for 10-19 years. Lastly, the highest medical assistant salary is given to employers who have devoted at least 20 years of their life as a medical assistant.

Medical Assistant Salary  - Location

Although experience level is a concrete determinant for a medical assistant salary, this factor isn’t the whole story. Another factor which affects the range of the salaries of medical assistants is the location of where they work. In a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics last 2008, findings revealed that there was a marked difference of annual medical assistant salary among the various states. Let us take for example the state of Ohio, their medical assistants are paid an annual medium salary of $28,300, Maine’s employers are given $28,710 while the medical assistant salary of those based at New Jersey is $35,990.

Medical Assistant Salary  - Industry

Another determining factor of medical assistant salary ids the industry where he/she works for. In the same year, BLS conducted a comparative survey of the different medical assistant salaries by industry. Those who worked at dentist offices are paid $34,790, employers at hospitals have a medical assistant salary of $30,670 and those assigned at outpatient centers receive an annual salary of $30,130. Medical assistants who work at the offices of physicians are paid $29,960 while a medical assistant salary amounting $27,940 is given to those who practice their career at any other offices.

As you may have noticed, medical assistant salary seems to be lower as compared to other professions. However, you have to also inculcate in your minds that there are really a number of factors that affect the fluctuating ranges of medical assistant salary. One of these factors is job security. According to BLS, they have a prediction of a 35% increase in the medical assistant salary from the years 2006 to 2016. This means that the career of being a medical assistant shall be one of the fastest growing occupations in the society. Furthermore, this prediction is more likely to happen because of the fact that the need for medical facilities is continuously increasing, as well as the aging population and preventive medicines are becoming more popular each passing day. This guarantees employers that they will always have a place at the medical profession, become a medical assistant, earn a high medical assistant salary and make a difference in people’s lives.

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