Medical Assistant's Wages and Pay

Medical Assistant's Pay

Wages are commensurate with skill level, responsibilities, and years of experience in the field. However, when it comes to working in a medical office there often are significant differences in pay depending on the type of office they are in. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the median annual wage-and-salary for medical assistants was $26,290 in May 2006.

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How Much Do Medical Assistants Earn?

How much do NEW medical assistant make?
Medical assistant salary range surveys indicated that the average monthly salaries for entry level medical assistants currently range from $1,600 to $1,760 net per month, compared with a range of $1,500 to $1,600 net three years ago.

How much do EXPERIENCED medical assistant make?
After two years of experience average monthly salaries range from $1,900 to $2,200 monthly net; mostly depending on where you live and also what type of medical office. Specialists pay more than general family physicians.

In 2006 the middle 50 percent earned between $21,970 and $31,210 per year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,860, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $36,840.

In 2008 the national average earning for medical assistants increased to $37,000, the lowest ten percent earned $29,000, and the highest 10 percent earned $60,000 annual earining commensurate with their education, qualifications, location, and years of experience in the field.

What Pays More? Primary Care, or Specialty Care?

Primary care providers are essential to the healthcare system, however, despite of the wide variety of skills and huge range of responsibilities, they usually pay their medical assistants less than specialty doctors such as those in dermatology, allergy and immunology, otolaryngology, or gastroenterology.

Working For Primary Care Providers

Medical assistants working in a family practice usually earn between $9.00-$10.50 per hour, which is much less than their medical assistant counterparts who work in specialty offices and treatment facilities.

Although family physicians and general practitioners maintain a huge patient base and treat a wide range of conditions, from sinus and respiratory infections, to broken bones, they cannot pay their staff the same wages that specialty physicians typically can afford to pay.

Why the difference in pay? Because doctors that have specialized in a certain field, such as gynecology, cardiology, hematology, or surgery can bill insurance companies and patients much more for their services than family physicians, which means they can also afford to offer higher pay, and better benefits packages to their staff.

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