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Medical/Clinical Assistant

Types of Degrees Medical/Clinical Assistant Majors Are Earning

Those studying Medical/Clinical Assistant have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	37,184
Associate’s Degree	4,799
Master’s Degree	10,056

What Medical/Clinical Assistant Majors Need to Know

Studies in Medical/Clinical Assistant emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medical/Clinical Assistant graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Medical/Clinical Assistant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Medical/Clinical Assistant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Medical/Clinical Assistant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medical/Clinical Assistant graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical/Clinical Assistant professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical/Clinical Assistant graduates include:

• Respiratory Therapist Assistant
• Ophthalmic Assistant
• Chiropractor Assistant
• Orthopedic Medical Assistant
• Ophthalmological Assistant
• Medical Technician Assistant (Medical Tech Assistant)
• Podiatric Aide
• Doctor’s Assistant
• Pediatric Medical Assistant
• Orthopedic Assistant
• Dermatology Medical Assistant
• Optometry Assistant
• Medical Assistant (MA)
• Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
• Client Services Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Medical/Clinical Assistant graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	24.2%
Master’s degree	17.6%
Bachelor’s degree	15.0%
Doctoral degree	12.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.5%
Post-doctoral training	9.4%
Some college courses	8.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical/Clinical Assistant?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 92.8% of Medical/Clinical Assistant degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	49,013	92.8%
Men	3,806	7.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical/Clinical Assistant graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	10,421	19.7%
Asian	1,652	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	21,326	40.4%
Black or African American	10,859	20.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	536	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	217	0.4%
Two or More Races	1,489	2.8%
Race Unknown	6,102	11.6%
International Students	217	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical/Clinical Assistant Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Medical/Clinical Assistant graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Medical/Clinical Assistant Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Medical/Clinical Assistant. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	19	35

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Medical/Clinical Assistant Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Medical/Clinical Assistant graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	51.08
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	51.0899
Anesthesiologist Assistant	51.0809
Chiropractic Technician/Assistant	51.0813
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	51.0802
Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)	51.0810
Lactation Consultant	51.0815
Occupational Therapist Assistant	51.0803
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant	51.0811
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	51.0805
Physical Therapy Assistant	51.0806
Radiologist Assistant	51.0814

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.