Entering the healthcare field as a medical assistant is a wise career choice. Overall, healthcare jobs are growing quickly – as much as 22% overall in the next six years, which is faster than any other field. Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the healthcare field has eight of the top 20 fastest growing jobs overall. Professionals in the medical field generally enjoy more stability and job security than many people in the corporate world these days.
There are many different specializations in the medical assisting field – from an actual medical assistant to a physical therapy or nurse assistant. All of them offer strong career growth potential and increasing salaries. This is because there is such a strong demand in the healthcare field for new workers. As our population ages and lives longer, the demand for more healthcare services always increases.
There are many diverse medical assistant opportunities available, depending upon your interests. If you like the field of physical therapy, you can become an assistant to a licensed physical therapist. Or, if you enjoy working with animals, you can work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. And, if you want a career with more responsibility and high income potential, think about becoming a physician’s assistant.
One major advantage to the general career path of medical assistants is that there are jobs available for people with a high school diploma, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. No matter your education level, you can find a medical job for you that is in high demand. For example, there is a big surge in demand for physician’s assistants. This is because there is also a large demand for primary care doctors, but these assistants can do many of the tasks of a regular doctor at a lower cost to government and insurance companies.
Typical median salaries for the different types of medical assistant are as follows:
- Medical assistant: $28,000
- Physical therapy assistant: $49,600
- Occupational therapy assistant: $51,000
- Dental assistant: $33,400
- Veterinary assistant: $22,000
- Pharmacy assistant: $28,400
- Nurse assistant: $24,000
- Phlebotomy assistant: $24,000
- Medical lab assistant: $36,000
- Physician’s assistant: $86,400
- Home health assistant: $20,500
- Optical assistant: $24,400
