Medical assistants

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce

568k

Average Age

36.8

Estimated Job Growth

19.2%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$34,255

Average Male Salary

$43,800

Average Female Salary

$33,269

About

Medical assistants are most often employed by the Offices of physicians industry. The average yearly wage for Medical assistants was $34,255 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Medical assistants are Jacksonville City PUMA, NC, Bakersfield City (West) PUMA, CA, and Indio, Coachella, Blythe & La Quinta (East) Cities PUMA, CA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Medical assistants are Alamo & Donna Cities PUMA, TX, Portsmouth & Norfolk (Southwest) Cities PUMA, VA, and Jacksonville City PUMA, NC.

Healthcare Support Occupations Service Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Medical assistants workforce. Medical assistants workforce in 2021 was 568,092 people, of which 90.6% were women and 9.36% were men. Medical assistants are paid most in Tantalus to Waikiki PUMA, HI but are relatively concentrated in Alamo & Donna Cities PUMA, TX.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

53,195

Male Workforce

± 5.66k

514,897

Female Workforce

± 17.6k

The Medical assistants workforce in 2021 was 568,092 people (90.6% women and 9.36% men). This implies an average annual growth of 26.4% between 2014 (449,450) and 2021 (568,092).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Medical assistants.

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were South Dakota ($50,459), Alaska ($43,935), and Washington ($43,724).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$34,255

AVERAGE WAGE

#430 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Medical assistants earned an average of $34,255, $25,340 less than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Medical assistants in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.281

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Medical assistants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.281, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Medical assistants (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Medical assistants compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Medical assistants and on wages for those in the field. Offices of physicians is the industry that employs the most Medical assistants, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Medical assistants, by average wage, is Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals ($55,413).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

568k

2021 Workforce

± 18,470

3.42%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 4.48%

This graphic shows the share of Medical assistants employed by various industries. Offices of physicians employs the largest share of Medical assistants at 48.7%, followed by General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 31.2% and Outpatient care centers with 20.1%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Medical assistants in the US. The workforce of Medical assistants in 2021 was 568,092 people, with 90.6% woman, and 9.36% men. The average age of male Medical assistants in the workforce is 35.4 and of female Medical assistants is 36.9, and the most common race/ethnicity for Medical assistants is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Medical assistants in 2021 was 568,092 people, with 90.6% woman, and 9.36% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 25 to 29 years (109,379 people), 30 to 34 years (91,479 people), and 20 to 24 years (84,608 people). Among them they concentrated 50.3% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 29% of Medical assistants workers were Hispanic and 71% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (79.5%), Puerto Rican (14.5)%, and Dominican (5.94)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2021, 62% of the Medical assistants workforce were White, of which 91.8% were women and 8.21% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (14.6%) and Other (9.52%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Medical assistants from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Medical assistants is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2021 were Health.

Among the necessary skills for Medical assistants, Speaking stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Medical assistants need more than the average amount of Social Perceptiveness.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Medical assistants in 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (23,949 people), Biology (14,290 people), and Business (8,217 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Medical assistants workers were Some college (226,496 people), Associates Degree (132,324 people), and High School or Equivalent (113,912 people).

The graphic shows the Medical assistants workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Medical assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical assistants need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Medical Assistants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Medical Assistants are expected to see a growth of 19.2% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

19.2%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Medical assistants. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.