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How A Medical Assistant Salary Is Determined
A medical assistant is a vital member of the medical profession. They are employed by hospitals, clinics, at long term health care centers and in doctor’s offices. While not the most highly paid position in the medical arena, their salary is higher than the suggested national wage. Salaries vary depending upon the amount of training and type of certification the assistant has, how long they have been working as an assistant, where they work and which area of the country they are living and working in. There is no difference in salary between male and female assistants.
The average wage varies from around $11 per hour to $14.50 per hour with the average yearly income ranging from $22,800 to $31,200; however some positions pay as much as $20 per hour. Overall, higher salaried Medical Assistant positions are found in the southern US, with slightly more better paying positions found on the east coast than on the west coast or central regions.
In general Medical Assistants with more experience are paid higher rates than those just starting out, with the salary increasing the more experience and the longer the assistant has held the position. The actual size of the company, hospital or organization employing the assistant does not really come into play as much as the type of hospital setting. For example, higher paying jobs are found in the ambulance and surgical sectors.
In order to qualify for higher paying positions you may want to take into consideration where you live and the type of work you want to be involved in. While some positions on the east coast are higher paying, keeping the one position for several years may see an incremental pay increase that rivals that of a lower paying job on the east coast. Education, training and certification play an important role also in the type of hourly rate received. In general, the better trained and more certificates an assistant has, the higher their salary will be.
Aside from salary, other factors come into consideration when choosing where to work. The amount of bonus received, and the number of days vacation allotted per year are also important to take into account. As with salaries, however, higher bonuses and more vacation days are afforded to those who have been working as an assistant for a longer time period.