What Can You Do With an Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting in 2025?

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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What careers can you pursue with an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

Graduates with a medical assisting degree can follow multiple pathways that range from direct patient care to healthcare administration and information management. These jobs serve as the first building blocks of a healthcare career, and most are supported by strong national employment bases.

Below are common roles where this degree provides entry:

• Medical Assistant: Works directly with patients by recording vital signs, updating health records, and supporting physicians during exams. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are 783,900 medical assistants employed across the U.S as of 2024.
• Specialty Medical Assistant: Trains on the job to support fields such as ophthalmology or podiatry, building technical skills that expand beyond general practice. These positions are included within the BLS total for medical assistants.
• Medical Biller: Manages claims and reimbursement by applying diagnostic codes and payer rules. The BLS groups these roles within medical records specialists, reporting 191,500 jobs nationwide.
• Medical Office Manager: Oversees daily clinic operations such as scheduling, budgeting, and compliance. The BLS reports 562,700 positions in the broader category of medical and health services managers.
• Health Unit Coordinator: Maintains patient charts, admissions, and communication flow in hospitals and clinics. Employment data from the BLS shows 768,900 medical secretaries and administrative assistants, which includes this role.
• Sterile Processing Technician: Prepares and sterilizes medical instruments to ensure patient safety in surgical and outpatient settings. The BLS notes 66,790 medical equipment preparers are employed nationally.
• Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar: Ensures accuracy of electronic health records and manages data reporting for hospitals and registries. The BLS lists 39,100 employed in these roles.

An associate’s degree in medical assisting is not a single-track credential. It opens opportunities in both patient-facing and behind-the-scenes roles, giving graduates the flexibility to shape careers that grow with their skills and ambitions.

In addition to these options, graduates may find overlapping opportunities when exploring related fields such as dental assistant associate degree jobs, which similarly blend patient interaction with administrative and technical responsibilities. This highlights how an associate’s credential can provide flexible entry points into multiple healthcare support careers.

What is the career ladder like for graduates with an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

After earning your associate’s degree in medical assisting, the first rung on the career ladder is usually an entry-level position as a medical assistant in a physician’s office, outpatient clinic, or hospital. These jobs give you immediate experience in both patient care and administrative tasks, helping you apply what you learned in school while building the foundation for advancement.

As you gain experience, you may progress into senior or lead roles where you supervise daily workflows and mentor newer staff. Others choose to move into specialty practices such as ophthalmology or podiatry, developing technical skills through on-the-job training or short-term courses like 4-week online medical assistant training programs. Credentials such as the CMA or the RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) often make these steps easier by showing employers that you’re ready for added responsibility.

With several years of experience, opportunities open in management and technical areas. Some graduates become medical office managers or unit coordinators, applying organizational and leadership skills to oversee staff and ensure compliance. Others find their niche in health records and information technology, building data-focused careers that expand beyond direct patient care.

For those interested in higher-level positions, continuing your education can be the next step. Credits from your associate’s degree may transfer into bachelor’s programs in health science, healthcare administration, or nursing, creating pathways into roles such as clinical manager, health information specialist, or registered nurse.

To see how these career paths compare in scale, it helps to look at national employment numbers. The graph below highlights where the strongest opportunities currently exist.

What industries are hiring graduates with an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

Healthcare demand is projected to keep expanding, with an estimated 1.6 million new jobs expected over the next decade (Altarum, 2024). For medical assisting degree graduates, this growth is spread across key sectors such as physician offices, hospitals, and long-term care, each offering distinct ways to apply their degree.

Ambulatory Health Care Settings

Physician offices and outpatient clinics are the largest employers of medical assistants. These workplaces rely on staff who can handle both administrative and clinical tasks. The BLS projects about 119,800 openings per year for medical assistants, with most opportunities concentrated in these ambulatory care settings.

Hospitals

Hospitals employ medical assistants in outpatient units, specialty departments, and admission services. Projections show that hospitals will add 321,400 new healthcare jobs over the next decade, many of which will require medical assistants to support smooth clinical operations.

Nursing and Residential Care Facilities

Long-term care and residential settings are expected to expand steadily in the coming years. Nursing and residential care facilities are projected to add 146,300 new jobs over the next decade, opening opportunities for medical assistants in community-based care environments. Similar demand can be seen in jobs for CNAs or certified nurse assistants, where certified nursing assistants provide essential daily support to patients in long-term care facilities. Together, medical assistants and CNAs play a critical role in meeting the growing needs of an aging population.

Health Care Administration and Information Services

Some graduates pursue roles that lean toward administration or data management. BLS projects about 61,400 annual openings for medical and health services managers, and medical assistants who gain experience and additional training can move into these positions over time.

Medical assisting graduates are entering a healthcare system that is not only expanding but diversifying. The associate’s degree equips them to pursue opportunities in the best places to work as a medical assistant, from ambulatory care to hospitals and long-term facilities, where career paths are actively multiplying.

How much can you make with an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

Salary expectations are an important career consideration for graduates of an associate’s degree in medical assisting. Pay varies widely by role, reflecting differences in responsibility, location, and specialization. National labor statistics and independent salary surveys both point to steady income potential for graduates.

The following figures show the typical median salary along with how top earners can achieve higher wages:

• Medical Assistant: The BLS reports a median annual wage of $39,610, with the top 10% earning more than $51,710. ZipRecruiter places the national average slightly higher at $41,370.
• Certified Medical Assistant: Indeed lists the average salary at about $44,000 annually, with certification often providing an advantage in pay scales across employers.
• Specialty Medical Assistant: While BLS does not separate specialty assistants, ZipRecruiter reports ophthalmic medical assistants earn an average of $40,956 annually. Specialized training or certification usually results in slightly higher wages than general practice roles.
• Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar: Median pay is $67,310, with the top 10% earning above $112,130 according to BLS.
• Medical Records Specialist: The median annual salary is $47,180, with the top 10% exceeding $75,460.
• Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant: Median annual pay is $44,080, and the top 10% earn over $63,240.
• Health Unit Coordinator: Indeed reports an average salary of $46,500, reflecting administrative responsibility in hospital and clinical units.
• Medical Equipment Preparer: The BLS lists median earnings of $45,420, with the top 10% above $63,420.
• Medical and Health Services Manager: A common advancement path, these roles earn a median of $110,680, with the top 10% surpassing $189,000.

These figures show that while many graduates begin with mid-$40,000 salaries, advancement into specialized, technical, or management roles can significantly raise earning potential.

To further illustrate how location influences pay, the following graph highlights the top cities where certified medical assistants report the highest annual wages.

What is the job market for medical assisting associate’s degree graduates?

Healthcare remains one of the most dependable sources of employment, and a medical assisting degree connects graduates to multiple growing fields. Demand is rising not only in frontline patient care but also in information management and supervisory roles.

Growth projections highlight how demand is distributed across the most common roles graduates pursue:

• Medical Assistants: Projected to grow 15% from 2022 to 2032, well above the average for all occupations, as outpatient services and preventive care expand.
• Medical Records Specialists: Expected to grow 7%, reflecting the demand for accurate, compliant health information management across facilities.
• Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: Forecast to grow 7%, supporting the growing administrative needs of clinics, hospitals, and specialty practices.
• Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars: Set to grow 16%, with rising investment in health data analytics, electronic systems, and cybersecurity.
• Medical and Health Services Managers: Among the strongest outlooks, with projected growth of 29%, highlighting the increasing demand for leaders to oversee staffing, budgets, and compliance in expanding health systems.

The variety in growth rates underscores that this degree does not lock graduates into a single career. Instead, it creates options across multiple medical assistant fields that can adapt as the healthcare industry evolves.

What certifications are available to graduates with an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

Completing an associate’s degree in medical assisting provides a solid foundation, but certifications can validate skills and increase employability. Employers often seek credentialed applicants because certification demonstrates a verified level of competence and commitment to the field.

Graduates of this degree are eligible for several nationally recognized certifications:

• Certified Medical Assistant: Administered by the American Association of Medical Assistants, this is one of the most widely recognized credentials. Eligibility requires graduation from an accredited program.
• Registered Medical Assistant: Issued by American Medical Technologists (AMT), this certification emphasizes both clinical and administrative skills. It is open to associate degree graduates who meet education and experience requirements.
• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA): Offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), the CCMA focuses on clinical duties such as specimen collection, patient instruction, and assisting with procedures, making it a strong option for graduates entering patient-facing roles.
• National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA): Granted by the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), this credential covers a broad range of tasks, including clinical, administrative, and patient communication skills, and is available to associate degree graduates from approved programs.

Together, these certifications show employers that candidates are qualified, adaptable, and prepared for the demands of healthcare environments. They also help graduates differentiate themselves in a competitive job market while reinforcing the value of the associate’s degree.

What bachelor’s degrees are best for graduates with an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

For medical assisting degree holders, advancing into a bachelor’s program can expand career options and improve long-term earnings. These programs build directly on healthcare foundations and align with growing fields in the industry.

The following bachelor’s degrees represent strong next steps, supported by labor market data:

• Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration: Focuses on leadership, finance, and operations in healthcare organizations. Employment for medical and health services managers is projected to grow 29% in the coming years, with about 61,400 openings each year.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing: Registered nurses held about 3.3 million jobs in 2023, with employment expected to expand 6% by 2033. Some colleges offer fast track medical assistant to RN bridge programs online, a direct pathway to transition quickly into nursing roles.
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health: Centers on community health, epidemiology, and prevention. Health education specialists are projected to grow 7%, and community health workers 13% across the decade ahead.
• Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education: Trains students to design and deliver health education programs in schools, nonprofits, and government agencies. Often aligns with credentialing such as the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), strengthening graduates’ ability to qualify for specialized outreach and education roles.
• Bachelor of Science in Allied Health: Offers pathways into specialties such as respiratory therapy and imaging. Respiratory therapists are projected to grow 13%, and diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists 11% through 2033.
• Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management: Health information technologists and medical registrars are projected to grow 16% during the next decade, while medical records specialists are projected to grow 9%. For students wondering what can you do with a health information management degree, this path opens opportunities in electronic health records, compliance, data privacy, and healthcare IT leadership—roles that are becoming increasingly critical in modern healthcare systems.

Pursuing one of these bachelor’s degrees allows medical assisting graduates to extend their associate-level training into management, advanced clinical practice, or technical specialties, each supported by strong labor market demand.

What specializations can medical assistants pursue after earning an associate’s degree?

An associate’s degree in medical assisting provides a foundation, but many graduates choose to focus their careers in specialized areas of patient care. These pathways can increase wages, improve job stability, and align with personal interests in healthcare. For example, some professionals compare earning potential across related roles, such as looking at the average PCT salary (patient care technician salary), which provides a useful benchmark when evaluating career options in direct patient support versus specialized medical assisting.

The following examples highlight common specializations available to medical assistants:

• Ophthalmic Medical Assistant: Works with ophthalmologists to conduct eye exams, assist with surgical preparation, and manage diagnostic testing.
• Podiatric Medical Assistant: Assists podiatrists in procedures, creates casts or splints, and educates patients on foot care. Demand is supported by rising rates of diabetes-related foot conditions.
• OB/GYN Medical Assistant: Supports women’s health through prenatal visits, gynecological exams, and patient education. This specialization offers steady demand tied to reproductive and maternal healthcare.
• Orthopedic Medical Assistant: Provides care in musculoskeletal treatment, including fracture management, casting, and surgical follow-up. Growth is fueled by aging populations and increased demand for mobility care.
• Dermatology Medical Assistant: Assists in clinical and cosmetic dermatology with screenings, biopsies, and patient counseling. Preventative and aesthetic services keep this specialization in high demand.

Specialization allows graduates to build expertise in fields that reflect strong industry demand and targeted patient needs. By focusing on a defined area of care, medical assistants can strengthen their career prospects and pursue advancement beyond general practice roles.

Which compliance training should graduates with an associate’s degree in medical assisting complete?

Unlike professional certifications such as the CMA or RMA, compliance training is not about advancing credentials but about meeting legal and workplace requirements. These programs ensure that medical assistants can perform their duties safely, protect patient rights, and follow federal and state regulations. Employers expect graduates to complete and maintain compliance training as a condition of practice.

The following are the most relevant compliance trainings for medical assistants:

• HIPAA Training: Covers the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Essential for protecting patient data, ensuring confidentiality, and following proper procedures for handling medical records.
• OSHA Training: Focuses on workplace safety standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Includes bloodborne pathogens, hazardous materials, and protocols to minimize occupational risks.
• Infection Control Training: Provides instruction on sterilization, disinfection, and protective equipment. Reinforces best practices that prevent the spread of infectious diseases in healthcare facilities.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) and CPR: Requires periodic renewal and ensures readiness to respond to emergencies such as cardiac arrest. Most employers mandate current certification from the American Heart Association or similar organizations.
• State-Specific Compliance: Some states mandate additional training in areas such as radiography safety, vaccine administration, or expanded clinical duties. Requirements vary but are often enforced by state health boards.

Compliance training is not a one-time task but an ongoing responsibility. Graduates who maintain current training demonstrate professionalism and readiness to work under the safety standards and legal requirements expected in today’s healthcare environments.

These responsibilities matter most in the settings where medical assistants are employed. The chart below highlights the primary workplace environments for this profession.

What industries outside of healthcare hire graduates of an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

Most medical assistants work in healthcare facilities, but the skills gained through an associate’s degree, including the fastest medical assistant associate's degree online, can also open doors in non-clinical industries. Training in medical terminology, records management, and patient interaction applies in settings where healthcare knowledge adds value beyond direct patient care.

Industries outside of healthcare where graduates may find opportunities include:

• Health Insurance and Claims: Insurers employ staff with clinical knowledge to process claims, verify medical records, and ensure accurate coding. Understanding procedures and terminology reduces errors and improves efficiency.
• Education and Training: Technical colleges and vocational schools often hire graduates as lab assistants or program support staff, helping to train the next generation of allied health workers.
• Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sales: Companies value employees who can explain medical products accurately to healthcare providers. A medical assisting background provides credibility when discussing clinical applications.
• Public Health and Community Programs: Local and state agencies run initiatives in immunization, nutrition, and chronic disease prevention. Graduates can assist in outreach, data collection, or program coordination.
• Corporate Wellness Programs: Large employers and fitness organizations hire staff with health knowledge to coordinate wellness screenings, organize health fairs, or support employee education.
• Legal and Administrative Services: Law firms handling medical malpractice or insurance cases rely on staff with healthcare training to review records and prepare documentation.

These roles illustrate how an associate’s degree in medical assisting creates pathways beyond hospitals and clinics. Graduates who explore non-healthcare sectors can expand their career options while applying their medical knowledge in new and rewarding contexts.

Here’s What Graduates Have to Say About Their Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting

Other Things You Should Know About Medical Assisting Degree Programs

What bridge programs are available for graduates with an associate’s degree in medical assisting?

Graduates who want to continue their education without starting over can take advantage of bridge programs. These structured pathways build on prior coursework and experience to shorten time to completion.

• Medical Assistant to RN Bridge: Enables graduates to apply medical assisting credits toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing, often with advanced standing.
• Medical Assistant to LPN/LVN Bridge: Offers a shorter route into licensed practical or vocational nursing, typically adding one year of classroom and clinical study.
• Medical Assistant to BSN Bridge: Provides a direct path into a bachelor of science in nursing for those aiming at higher-level nursing credentials.

Can a medical assisting degree lead to radiology, respiratory therapy, or other fields?

A medical assisting degree does not provide direct entry into fields like radiology or respiratory therapy, but it can serve as a foundation. Graduates may need to complete additional prerequisites before transferring into these programs.

• Radiologic Technology: Requires a specialized associate’s or bachelor’s degree, plus passing the ARRT exam. Medical assisting credits in anatomy or patient care may transfer.
• Respiratory Therapy: Entry-level roles require at least an associate’s degree in respiratory therapy, with NBRC certification. Medical assisting coursework may shorten general education requirements.
• Other Allied Health Fields: Programs such as occupational therapy assisting, surgical technology, or clinical laboratory science often accept transferable credits, allowing graduates to reduce total time in school.

How long does it take to switch careers into medical assisting with an associate’s program?

Most associate’s degree programs in medical assisting take about two years of full-time study to complete. For career changers, this timeline provides a structured path that balances clinical skills with general education courses.

Those who already have college credits may finish sooner. Transferable coursework in English, math, or science can shorten the timeline to as little as 12–18 months, depending on the institution’s policies.

Part-time students should expect a longer track. Balancing fewer courses per semester may extend completion to three years or more, but it provides flexibility for working adults.

What is the job satisfaction rate for medical assistants?

Medical assistants report moderate to strong job satisfaction overall. CareerExplorer surveys rate the profession at 3.2 out of 5, placing it in the top half of all careers. About 42% of medical assistants say the work is an excellent personality fit, and 59% give high ratings to their work environment.

Satisfaction with pay is notably lower. Only 11% of medical assistants report being completely satisfied with their compensation, showing that while many value the work itself, earnings remain an area of concern.