Medical Assistant

Medical assistants perform routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists running smoothly. Preparing patients for examinations, they take vital signs such as temperature, pulse, and respiration. They assist with first aid, collect and process specimens, and perform ordered tests. As the physician’s right hand, these professionals schedule appointments, prepare and maintain patient records, and arrange hospital admissions. A medical assistant serves as a liaison between the physician and others, such as pharmaceutical sales people.

$42,000 per year

Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 15 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 119,800 openings for medical assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

There are both 1-year and 2-year medical assisting programs. Two-year programs result in associate degrees while 1-year programs grant certificates or diploma’s. Formal training in medical assisting is most widely preferred but is not always required. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, although this is less common than it was in the past.

Licensure is not required in the state of Connecticut.

American Association of Medical Assistants

20 N. Wacker Dr., Ste. 3720

Chicago, IL  60606

312-899-1500

www.aama-ntl.org