Medical Assistant Salary: You’re Earning Less Than Them And Why?
Posted by: Mandy Dudenhoeffer / Category: FinanceWith the advent of the latest developments in medical science, many healthcare jobs are experiencing an increase in need, and medical assistant jobs are among them. The medical assistant’s tasks and responsibilities are very important aspects of the whole healthcare system, and because of that, medical assistant jobs will always be there. Medical assistants are usually the first ones to greet us when we enter physicians’ offices. It’s not surprising, too, that many people think medical assistants are nurses or physician assistants, but they do have different tasks and responsibilities.
Medical assistants too, make sure patients feel okay when they’re inside the physicians’ clinics or offices. Medical assistant has direct and personal interactions with patients that are visiting the physician’s office. Medical assistants perform different clinical and administrative tasks and they make sure the offices and clinics of physicians and other health practitioners run smoothly and efficiently. However, the tasks vary depending on the needs of the practitioner and each office or clinic may have different needs. Some of the traits and characteristics of those receiving an attractive medical assistant salary are the ability to keep patients at ease, having pleasant manners and being well groomed in order to look professional and approachable.
Medical assistants must have pleasant manners, courteous to the patients and have presentable appearance. They must be respectful of their patients’ private medical records, since medical assistants will have access to these files. Having these characteristics and traits will help you a lot if ever you decide to pursue a medical assisting career with a stable medical assistant salary, as well. For those that are just starting, you certainly will have lower medical assistant salary than those that are working for 10 years already, for example.
Medical assistants that have undergone formal trainings and are certified usually receive higher salaries because physicians and other healthcare providers appreciate these additional skills of medical assistants. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in May 2009, there are 495,970 medical assistants working in the United States. These medical assistants received an annual mean wage of $29,450 or $14.16 an hour.
The State of California is the number one employer of medical assistants, paying them an annual mean wage of $30,980. These States’ salaries are just slightly above the mean annual wage of $29,450. You can double the amount of your starting medical assistant salary, which usually is around $20,000 a year, once you gain more experience on the job, or if you’re working in one of the higher paying States or industries. Certainly, you will have better chances of achieving that amount if you’re formally trained and certified. Aside from the medical assistant salary, more people are looking to enter this field because of the high demand for them.
Medical assistants are important members of the whole healthcare team. Medical assistants should account for a very large number of new jobs, as projected by the government, because many people are seeking healthcare from various healthcare professionals. If you’re just starting on a career, or planning to shift to a new one, being a medical assistant should be perfect for you. There are few healthcare careers that are as attractive as medical assistant careers because of the highly competitive medical assistant salary and the great job security it provides.
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