Medical Assistants

At a glance

  • Career Clusters

    Health Science

  • Avg. Pay

    $40,700

  • Entry-Level Education

    Postsecondary nondegree award

  • Job Outlook

    Faster than average

  • Total US Employment

    752,460

Overview

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.

Job 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.

Important Subjects

Employment by Industry

Wage Distribution

Average Wages by State

Data provided by:

O*NET in-it Bureau of Labor Statistics