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Medical Assistant Salary in California
Even with the economic downturn in the state of California, the city of San Jose surprisingly offers one of the top salaries in the medical assisting field. Through this career, medical assistants will be required to participate in various diploma or degree programs to ensure they are knowledgeable in the field. Medical assistants then go on to other courses to get them ready should they decide to enter into a specialty program. The typical medical assistant salary in California varies depending on how far the medical assistant goes in their education, as well as additional training and experience they gain throughout their career. Medical assistants typically earn about $13-$15 per hour. This career requires certification, but it does not require much experience.
Medical Assistant Training
A medical assistant’s career training should consist of a formal degree program. However, a one-year certificate program is generally the minimum requirement in most states, including California. While this type of program provides the same medical assisting skills and knowledge as that of the two year Associate’s degree, it does not provide the basic general education courses that are required to graduate with a degree in medical assisting.
The certificate program will provide the medical assistant with the base requirements to qualify for an entry-level position and begin earning a top medical assistant salary. If the assistant wants to earn as much as possible in their medical assistant salary in California, they must go through at least four years of formal college education in the form of the Bachelor’s degree (BA). A BA consists of medical courses, general education courses, and clinical training. Students can complete the courses required for this degree online. In order to complete the clinical training, the aspiring medical assistant will be required to participate in a program through a local healthcare facility.
The national average starting medical assistant salary with the Bachelor’s degree is generally about $14 to $16 per hour. The medical assistant salary in California will typically offer a slightly higher starting salary of $16 to $18 per hour due to a higher cost of living.
Additional Training/ Specialties
Many doctors’ offices employ the medical assistant to assist with various medical procedures. A medical assistant provides the same services as a Registered Nurse (RN), though the medical assistant hourly salary is typically less than that of the RN. Since the same knowledge is required, the employer may suggest that the medical assistant enroll in continuing education courses to enhance the assistant’s knowledge in a specialty field.
The additional training helps assistants earn more money, because of the higher demand for their services. Their enhanced knowledge in the medical assisting field increases the potential for a higher medical assistant salary. In addition, as medical assistants gain experience in the field, they also reap additional pay raises in their medical assistant salary. The average medical assistant salary in California for those with vast experience exceeds $20 per hour, making California one of the top states to work in as a medical assistant.
