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Medical Assistants
(SOC Code : 31-9092)
in California

Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician. Exclude "Physician Assistants" (29-1071).

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Moderate-term on-the-job training (1-12 months) .

Occupational Wages[Top]
AreaYearPeriodHourly MeanHourly by Percentile
25thMedian75th
California 20231st Qtr$24.05$18.81$22.43$28.27

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")[Top]
 AreaEstimated Year-Projected YearEmploymentEmployment ChangeTotal Job Openings
EstimatedProjectedNumberPercent
California 2018 - 2028101,600126,50024,90024.5150,550

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange[Top]
 
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Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)[Top]
Industry Title
Number of Employers in State of California
Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California
Offices of Physicians 58,97463.1%
Outpatient Care Centers 10,33211.3%
General Medical and Surgical Hos1,51111.3%
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 76,4237.3%
Employment Services5,0961.4%
Offices of Dentists 30,2651.3%

About Staffing Patterns
 

Training Programs (click on title for more information)[Top]
Program Title
Anesthesiologist Assistant
Chiropractic Assistant/Technician
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant & Medical Secreta
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder
Medical Office Assistant/Specialist

About Training & Apprenticeships
 

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)[Top]
Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)
Record patients` medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.
Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician.
Authorize drug refills and provide prescription information to pharmacies.
Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians` instructions to patients.
Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
Perform routine laboratory tests and sample analyses.

More Tasks for Medical Assistants


Top Skills used in this Job
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

More Abilities for Medical Assistants


Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)
Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)
Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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Alternate Titles
Certified Medical Assistants (CMA); Medical Office Assistants; Optometric Assistants; Clinical Assistants; Registered Medical Assistants; Certified Ophthalmic Technicians; Chiropractor Assistants; and Ophthalmic Assistants
 
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