There is always a need for medical assistants across the country. A medical assistant in Washington State on average makes $38,042 a year. Other factors affect your pay as a medical assistant such as how long you have worked as a medical assistant, the certifications you have, your level of education and the diplomas and degrees you may or may not have, cash bonuses, profit sharing, commissions, and tips. Working overtime hours, nights, weekends, and holidays will also affect how much you make yearly.
Job Growth and Opportunities
There are over 120,000 medical assistant openings around the country per year. Some openings are due to medical assistants transferring or leaving the force to retire for example. Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for medical assistants will grow by 16% between 2021 and 2031 which is a higher growth rate than in any other career category or occupation.
Medical Assistant Duties
A PCMH (Patient-Centered Medical Homes) e-survey showed that medical assistants ranks in the top three most important professionals on a PCMH team. You will have both clinical and administrative duties as a medical assistant. This will give you much-needed experience which will be important throughout your career as a medical assistant.
A medical assistant also plays the role of a patient liaison, facilitating the ease and comfort of patients, usually as they wait on a physician, and also relaying and explaining a physician’s instructions.
Some of your clinical duties as a medical assistant include taking a patient’s information and history, advising patients on medication and diet, collecting lab specimens and conducting simple lab tests, and preparing patients for examinations. Some more clinical duties include phlebotomy (drawing blood for blood work), giving prescription refills, preparing and giving medications, and dressing and and redressing wounds.
Some of your administrative duties as a medical assistant will include answering phones, using computer applications, filing and updating patient records, handling billing and bookkeeping, and scheduling appointments.
If you decide that a career as a medical assistant is the right career path for you, the following are steps you will need to take in the state of Washington to land your first job.
To become a medical assistant in the state of Washington, you will need to be registered or certified by the Washington Department of Health. Completing an apprenticeship or some other accredited program is also a requirement. You will learn the necessary clinical and administrative skills during training which will include maintaining electronic records, taking patient vital signs, sterilizing tools and equipment, cleaning and preparing exam areas, phlebotomy, and assisting a doctor or physician with exams.
You must pass this exam before you apply for a medical assistance certification in Washington. After you pass the exam, you must apply for the certification within five years. If, however, you don’t pass the exam but do meet all the other requirements, you can qualify for a one-year certification called a ‘Medical Assistant Interim Certification’. This certification is temporary and remains in effect for one year or until you pass the exam, whichever comes first.
To get your Washington Medical Assisting Certificate, you must pass one of the following exams:
Send all Applicable Documents to Washington State
You will need to send transcripts and all applicable official documents to the state directly from the school or organization once you are finished with your training and ready to apply for your license. Your documents will show the time that you were in the program and the date you completed the program.
Prove Competence and Verify Other Licenses
You must show proof that you completed high school, or that you got a GED, and that you are able to speak, read, and write in English. You also have to show that you completed the necessary hours of HIV/AIDS training– which, in Washington State, is seven hours.
Also provide a list of other states you applied for or received medical assistant certification. If you do have certification in another state or states, or if you applied for certification but did not receive it, that state will need to complete the correct form and send it to the Washington State Department of Health.
Organize a Resume
Feature your clinical and administrative skills on your resume, particularly skills such as taking a patient’s vitals, phlebotomy, and giving medications to patients. Your degree, a requirement in Washington State, is always a good feature on a resume. Include that you have worked as an intern or apprentice in accordance with Washington State’s requirements. Include your experience with billing and medical record systems.
Apply for your Washington License
After you have gone through the steps above, you can apply for your medical assistance license either online or on a paper application which includes a fee. After you send in your application, a specialist will review it to make sure it meets all the requirements. Washington State will also conduct a background check. If everything is in place, you will be licensed and notified formally. You must renew your license every two years after you receive it.
Apply for Jobs
After you receive your Washington State medical assistant license, you begin to apply for jobs. Apply to big and small hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities. You can gain skills and, in two or three years, begin considering moving to a more specific field such as family medicine, cardiology, or obstetrics– or you can move up for a higher-paying position.
In Washington State, the top highest-paying medical assistant industries are Healthcare (average yearly salary of $39,528), Non-profit & NGO (average salary of $39,772), Education (average yearly salary of $41,797), and Human Resources & Staffing (average yearly salary of $41,709).
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