Medical Assistant Salary
The average medical assistant salary is roughly $20,000 to 28,000 a year. It is significantly lower than that of the registered nurse salary, which is $65,000 to $80,000 a year. Usually both professions are mistaken for one another but in actually they are very different. Medical assistants are trained and specialized individuals which provide administrative and clinical support to health care professionals. Unlike nurses medical assistants are often responsible for documentation, and clerical tasks. They do routinely perform minor procedures on patients such as collecting specimens of bodily fluid, and administering injections. Medical assistants work under the supervision of a physician or nurse.
The medical assistant salary is reflective of the level of education required to earn a degree. This field requires a relatively moderate educational concentration. Degrees can even be earned online. Education for this field commences in post-secondary educational institutions. These institutions can include vocational schools, online medical assistant schools, technical institutes, proprietary colleges, community colleges and junior colleges. Students interested in furthering their medical careers by entering the nursing field, should research programs with accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools is also acceptable. Programs should have a balance of classroom, lecture, and laboratory experience.
Percentages of students enrolled in an online medical assistant degree are at an all-time high. This has come to be due to the enormous amount of medical assistant jobs currently available. Health care institutions such as hospitals and private doctor offices have come to the realization that it is more cost effective to higher medical support, rather than medical providers. With this theory in place, these institutions prefer to build medical teams consisting of one or two physicians, and roughly five or so medical assistants providing support to them.
One good medical assistant online degree comes from Keiser University. Keiser University offers an Associate of Science with a concentration in medical assisting, in their online Ecampus program. Their program is specialized to prepare students for a career assisting physicians or practitioners with various tasks. The programs provides instruction on proper record keeping techniques, as well as examination training for taking vital signs, injection administration, taking x-ray, and administering electrocardiograms.
Light work duties may include maintaining patient records, providing billing support, scheduling appointments when needed, and processing insurance claims. Offices usually have an individual already assigned to these tasks however; a medical assistant may be called upon for extra administrative support.
The salary averages depend on the region in which the medical assistant is planning to work, and the demand for professionals in that field. Some states may have a health care professional shortage such a Florida. This is a state which provides a great starting opportunity for medical assistants. Since Florida has become the capital of retired citizens, they have a crucial need for medical assistants that can provide care and support to their elderly residents. The medical assistant salary is not very impressive in the beginning compared to a nurse assistant salary, but the field provides a stepping stone for individuals seeking to further their careers.
More information about a nursing assistant salary.