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Medical Administration/ Assistant

Types of Degrees Medical Administration/ Assistant Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Medical Administration/ Assistant can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2,371
Associate’s Degree	3,322
Master’s Degree	2,065

What Medical Administration/ Assistant Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Medical Administration/ Assistant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Medical Administration/ Assistant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Medical Administration/ Assistant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Processing Information	4.4 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Performing Administrative Activities	4.1 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsys MicroMD	Medical software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Medical procedure coding software	Medical software	—
IDX Groupcast	Calendar and scheduling software	—
HMS	Medical software	—
PracticeWorks Systems Kodak WINOMS CS	Medical software	—
Electronic health record EHR software	Medical software	—
Allscripts Professional PM	Accounting software	—
Henry Schein Dentrix	Medical software	✓
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Administration/ Assistant graduates include:

• Ward Secretary
• Medical Office Specialist
• Verification Specialist
• Medical Office Clerk
• Guest Service Representative
• Dental Secretary
• Dental Front Desk Receptionist
• Hospital Unit Clerk
• Medical Billing Coder
• Unit Support Representative
• Medical Front Office Receptionist
• Medical Scheduler
• Front Desk Agent
• Dental Receptionist
• Client Service Coordinator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	26.0%
Postsecondary certificate	19.9%
Less than a high school diploma	5.3%
Some college courses	1.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Administration/ Assistant?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 94.9% of Medical Administration/ Assistant degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,373	94.9%
Men	398	5.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,797	36.0%
Asian	212	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1,414	18.2%
Black or African American	2,903	37.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	93	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	34	0.4%
Two or More Races	160	2.1%
Race Unknown	140	1.8%
International Students	18	0.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Administration/ Assistant Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Medical Administration/ 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	$36,041
4 years	$36,054
5 years	$40,847

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,847 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Medical Administration/ Assistant Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Medical Administration/ 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	52	16

^{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 Administration/ Assistant Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Medical Administration/ Assistant graduates earn a median of $36,054 four years after completion — about 5% 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
Health and Medical Administrative Services	51.07
Clinical Research Coordinator	51.0719
Disease Registry Data Management	51.0721
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	51.0799
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	51.0706
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	51.0707
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	51.0703
Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor	51.0704
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	51.0701
Health/Medical Claims Examiner	51.0715
Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security	51.0723
Healthcare Innovation	51.0722

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.