Medical Office Assistant/Specialist
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Types of Degrees Medical Office Assistant/Specialist Majors Are Earning
People majoring in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist can earn degrees at several award levels.
| Award Level | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Certificate | 1,498 |
| Associate’s Degree | 963 |
| Master’s Degree | 1,758 |
What Medical Office Assistant/Specialist Majors Need to Know
Studies in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medical Office Assistant/Specialist graduates commonly enter.
Knowledge Areas
According to O*NET, a major in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist 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
Skills developed in a Medical Office Assistant/Specialist 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.
- Coordination — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
Abilities
Abilities most relevant to Medical Office Assistant/Specialist careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:
- Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
- Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
- Oral Comprehension — 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 Office Assistant/Specialist 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 Office Assistant/Specialist professionals:
| Tool / Software | Category | In-Demand |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance CMS Secure Net Access Portal C-SNAP | Medical software | — |
| Scheduling software | Calendar and scheduling software | — |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | — |
| Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS | Medical software | — |
| dBASE Plus | Data base user interface and query software | — |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | Medical software | — |
| Word processing software | Word processing software | — |
| Electronic health record EHR software | Medical software | — |
| Addressing software | Word processing software | — |
| MEDENT | Medical software | — |
| Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale | Point of sale POS software | — |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | ✓ |
Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*
Sample Job Titles
Real job postings for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist graduates include:
- Scheduler
- Medical Receptionist
- Clinic Receptionist
- Medical Secretary
- Surgery Scheduler
- Medical Billing Specialist
- Medical Front Desk Receptionist
- Medical Front Office Receptionist
- Front Desk Receptionist
- Front Desk Agent
- Reception Technician (Reception Tech)
- Medical Office Receptionist
- Medical Office Secretary
- Intake Coordinator
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMMA)
Education Typically Required
Across the occupations open to Medical Office Assistant/Specialist 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 Office Assistant/Specialist?
Gender Distribution
This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 93.1% of Medical Office Assistant/Specialist degrees.
| Gender | Graduates | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 4,113 | 93.1% |
| Men | 306 | 6.9% |
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Office Assistant/Specialist graduates is as follows:
| Race / Ethnicity | Graduates | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,251 | 28.3% |
| Asian | 152 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,132 | 25.6% |
| Black or African American | 1,093 | 24.7% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 72 | 1.6% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 14 | 0.3% |
| Two or More Races | 120 | 2.7% |
| Race Unknown | 573 | 13.0% |
| International Students | 12 | 0.3% |
See minority definition below.
How Much Do Medical Office Assistant/Specialist Graduates Earn?
College Scorecard reports median earnings of Medical Office Assistant/Specialist 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 Office Assistant/Specialist Programs
Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist. 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 | 13 | 3 |
| Bachelor’s | 1 | 0 |
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 Office Assistant/Specialist Worth It?
On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Medical Office Assistant/Specialist 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 |
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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.
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