Employment in the health care industry is growing rapidly due to technological advances and the growth and aging of the population. In this increasingly competitive field, several qualifications will make a medical assistant more attractive to employers:

• Formal training
• Hands-on experience
• Professional certification
• The ability to handle both administrative and clinical tasks

Although earnings for medical assistants vary depending on their experience, skill level and location, the mean annual salary for medical assistants as of May 2007 was $28,270.

Mean Annual Medical Assistant Salaries by Facility, 2007:

Figures courtesy of Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.