Wages—Pay—Benefits

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	Wages—Pay—Benefits

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Medical Assistant's Pay

A medical assistant who has proven him/herself will often remain with the same office for many years to move up within the same organization. Over time they will grow into different roles and be offered additional responsibilities with more pay. Another important factor when it comes to pay are local and regional labor market conditions and for whom the medical assistant works! Medical assistants employed by a specialty physician or in a large group practice earn more than those working in a small family physician's office.

Wages—Pay—Benefits of Medical Assistants

Salaries depend on the location of employment and the size of the business. Also they are commensurate with qualifications, responsibilities and experience. Small towns and small offices tend to pay lower wages. Although much remains to be done regarding the comparatively low hourly wages and lack of benefit packages the medical assisting career remains a great field to enter into for a variety of reasons.

US Census Bureau 1998 Data Excel File Bureau 2000 Earnings/Degree

Level of Education	Average Individual Income
No HS diploma....... HS Graduate......... Associate's Degree... Bachelor's Degree.... Master's Degree......	$20,110.00 $28,307.00 $36,392.00 $50,056.00 $63,220.00

Who Pays More, Primary Care or Specialty Care Physician?

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

Sybil wrote:

Mar 20th, 2008 - 10:19 AM

Re: Why I want to be a Medical Assistant

I work a crappy retail job, and if I can get an MA job making what I make now, I'd be happy.

Oakwood starts their MAs off at $12.00/h

University of Michigan Hospital start their MAs off at $16.00/h

Henry Ford Hosp. starts their MAs off at $15.00/h

And the vast majority of clinics I've seen that are hiring pay anywhere from $10-14/h for starting. Get certified, then get a job at a hospital, or at one of their outpatient, or urgent care clinics.

Certified vs. Non-Certified MA's Pay

Certified Medical Assistants generally receive higher salaries and more benefits than those without certification credentials.

Why Do Primary Care Physicians Pay Less than Specialty Care Physicians?

Although medical assistant working in primary care with a family physician use by far a wider range of clinical skills and deal with a much wider range of different situations as their counterparts in specialty care, they usually receive considerably less pay. Reason: primary care physicians receive less money for their services than specialty doctors, or surgeons. Unfortunately this directly affects the pay rate they are able to offer their staff.

Is a Medical Assistant Degree "Worth"Getting?

Do you often wonder whether a degree in medical assisting is really worth your while? Since formal education in medical assisting is not always required, it appears as if many can be successful in this field without formal training. While this may often be the case, you don't hear much about those who fail. It is always better to invest your time and attention to proper education and proper documentation of this education! Over all, the level of education an individual has can make a major difference in the salary they will earn!

AKCMA wrote:

Mar 1, 08 - 10:50 PM

Re: Salary Survey - Responses Please

I worked for 17 years as a CMA/ER Tech in Alaska. I really enjoyed my job and was making good money around $55,000.- a year including overtime. Two years ago we moved to Idaho. In an Urgent Care that is run by CMA's I went down to $23,000.- a year (with overtime!). I know money isn't everything, but I was insulted by the pay vs. responsibility ratio. Plus, I was hard to swallow when your standard of living goes down so much when you are in your mid forties. So I took some action; I already had an AS with my Medical Assisting, and I decided to I transfer some of my credits over to an AS in Respiratory Therapy. I will be finished in two months, and I already have a job at the hospital where I am doing my clinicals. Starting pay will be $28/h! Although I am excited, my heart will always be in Medical Assisting, especially in an ER/Urgent Care setting. I will keep my CMA current and also keep on fighting for some kind of regulation for this profession.

Pay In A Private Practice vs. Hospital

Single doctors' offices, especially specialty physicians often pay more than hospitals.

How much money does a 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 can a more 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.

Fringe Benefits are Good to Have!

If you are looking for work and you are offered a job that pays a little lower than "elsewhere" wages, but offers fringe benefits, you should consider it! Fringe benefits are valuable services, or privileges provided to an employee by an employer in addition to salary. It is to be regarded as "compensation" in lieu of cash. Some fringe benefits (for example, accident and health plans and group-term life insurance) may be excluded from the employee's gross income and, therefore, are not subject to federal income tax.

What are possible fringe benefits offered in lieu of pay?

Fringe benefits that may be offered are:

Health Plan/Vision Plan

Dental insurance

Discounts

Paid Vacation/Sick time

Long-term disability

Pension/Retirement plan

401k matching

Free Continuing Education

Tuition reimbursement

Important Rules to Get That Promotion!

Employers offer advancement opportunities and additional responsibilities to medical assistants that have proven themselves to retain them within their office/organization. Good medical assistants always stay abreast of occupational trends, professional scope of practice rules and methods commonly accepted throughout the course of their employ.