What Do Medical Assistants Do?
Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. Medical assistants aid office staff and health care practitioners in daily operations. Administrative duties include answering telephones, scheduling appointments, greeting patients, updating and filing patient medical records, arranging for hospital admissions, and some billing and bookkeeping tasks. Clinical duties vary according to what is allowed by each state’s law. Clinical responsibilities may include such tasks as taking medical histories from patients and recording their vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examinations, and providing assistance during exams.
For more information about medical assistants, please see: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm.
Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
The majority of medical assistants work in the offices of physicians and other health care providers, although a large number also work in hospitals.
Most full-time medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week. However, many medical assistants work part time, evenings, and weekends, too.
What Do Medical Assistants Earn?
In 2022, the average annual income reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for medical assistants in the United States was $40,700. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) reports that, in 2023, medical assistants in New York earned a median annual salary of $45,816 (medical assistants in the 25th percentile made approximately $37,384 while those in the 75th percentile made approximately $50,326).
Supply and Demand
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of jobs for medical assistants in the U.S. will increase by 16% between 2021 and 2031. The New York State Department of Labor projects that the number of jobs for medical assistants in the state will increase by 27% between 2020 and 2030.
Helping to drive this excellent job growth is the increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other health care facilities that need a high proportion of support personnel, particularly medical assistants who can handle both administrative and some clinical duties. In addition, medical assistants work mostly in primary care, a consistently growing sector of the health care industry.
For more information on the need for medical assistants by New York State labor regions, 2018-2028, click here.
New York Educational Requirements
Formal educational programs in medical assisting are offered in vocational-technical high schools, postsecondary vocational schools, community and junior colleges, as well as some colleges and universities. These programs generally last one or two years, culminating in a certificate, diploma, or associate degree. Some medical assistants receive on-the-job training in the form of four- to six-week programs, but this is less common today than in the past.
New York Licensure Requirements
While New York does not require medical assistants to be licensed, individuals wishing to demonstrate proficiency in their occupation may receive certification through national organizations such as the American Association of Medical Assistants, www.aama-ntl.org and American Medical Technologists, https://www.americanmedtech.org/.
Financial Support
American Medical Technologists Registry offers scholarships for medical assistant students. For more information go to: http://www.americanmedtech.org/Schools/ScholarshipsAwards.aspx.
Education Programs in New York (Subject to Change)
| Allen School of Health Sciences 163-18 Jamaica Avenue Jamaica, NY 11432 or 188 Montague Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (888) 620-6745 |
ASA College Manhattan Campus 1293 Broadway New York, NY 10001 or Brooklyn Campus 81 Willoughby Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (866) 990-6148 |
| Bronx Educational Opportunity Center 1666 Bathgate Ave Bronx, NY 10457 (718) 530-7000 |
SUNY – Broome 907 Upper Front St. Binghamton, NY 13905 (607) 778-5495 |
| Bryant & Stratton College Medical assistant education programs in the Albany area, Buffalo area, Rochester area, Liverpool and Syracuse area. For contact information for each campus, go to: www.bryantstratton.edu/Contact.aspx |
Career School of New York 350 St Marks Place Staten Island, NY 10301 (718) 420-6440 |
| Erie Community College North Campus Health Sciences Division 6205 Main Street Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 851-1553 |
Elmira Business Institute Main Campus – Langdon Plaza 303 N. Main St. Elmira, NY 14901 (607) 733-7177 and Vestal Executive Park 4100 Vestal Rd. Vestal, NY 13850 (607) 729-8915 |
| Mandl School The College of Allied Health 254 W 54th Street New York, NY 10019 (212) 247-3434 |
SUNY Sullivan 112 College Road Loch Sheldrake, NY 12759 (845) 434-5750 |
| Mildred Elley School Albany Campus 855 Central Avenue Albany, NY 12206 (888) 290-3847 or Manhattan Campus 25 Broadway, Floor 16 New York, NY 10004 (866) 878-0041 |
New York Medical Career Training Center 36-09 Main Street, 5th floor Flushing, NY 11354 (718) 460-1717 or 500 8th Avenue, 5th floor (between 35th-36th Streets) New York, NY 10018 (212) 947-4444 |
| The New York School for Medical and Dental Assistants 33-10 Queens Boulevard Long Island City, NY 11101-2327 (718) 793-2330 |
Niagara County Community College 3111 Saunders Settlement Road Sanborn, NY 14132 (716) 614-6222 |
| Trocaire College 360 Choate Avenue Buffalo, NY 14220-2094 (716) 826-1200 |
Queensborough Community College 222-05 56th Ave Bayside, NY 11364 (718) 631-6262 |
| Branford Hall Career Institute 500 Karner Rd Albany, NY 12205 (518) 456-4464 or or 565 Johnson Avenue Bohemia, NY 11716 (631) 589-1222 or 1100 North Broadway Amityville, NY 11701 (631) 608-9113 |
Monroe College 2501 Jerome Ave. Bronx, NY 10468 (718) 933-6700 or 434 Main St. New Rochelle, NY 10801 (914) 632-5400 |
| Plaza College 118-33 Queens Blvd Forest Hills, NY 11375 (718) 779-1430 |
Columbia Greene Community College 4400 Route 23 Hudson, NY 12534 (518) 828-4181 |
| New Age Training 145 West 30th Street, 8th Fl New York, NY 10001 (212) 947-7940 |
Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES 110 Elwood Davis Road Liverpool, NY 13088 (315) 453-4455 or 1710 NYS Rte 13 Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 758-5111 |
| Center for Instruction, Technology & Innovation (Citi) 179 County Route 64 Mexico, NY 13114 (315) 963-4251 |
Access Careers 474 Fulton Ave. Hempstead, NY 11550 (516) 433-0034 or Islandia Campus 1930 Veterans Highway Ste 10 Islandia, NY 11749 (631) 630-9410 |
| Ace Institute of Technology 312 W 36th St. 2nd Fl. New York, NY 10018 (212) 695-9700 or 4040 75th St, Ste. 4038 Elmhurst, NY 11373 (718) 575-3223 |
The College of Westchester 325 Central Ave White Plains, NY 10606 (855) 403-7722 |
| St. Paul’s School of Nursing 97-77 Queens Blvd Queens, NY 11374 (718) 357-0500 or Corporate Commons 22 Teleport Dr., Ste. 203 Staten Island, NY 10311 (718) 818-6470 |
Hunter Business School 3601 Hempstead Turnpike, Unit 19 Levittown, NY 11756 (516) 796-1000 or 3247 Route 112, Bldg 3 Medford, NY 11763 (631) 736-7360 |
Medical Office Assistant Programs
| Bronx Community College 2155 University Avenue Bronx, NY 10453 (718) 289-5100 |
Queensborough Community College 222-05 56th Avenue Bayside, NY 11364 (718) 631-6262 |
| Jamestown Business College 7 Fairmount Avenue Jamestown, NY 14701 (716) 664-5100 |