Changing your career can be a huge decision. Regardless of your age, however, it can be a good opportunity to start fresh and invest your time into something you love. By training to become a medical assistant, you may soon be prepared for a line of work that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.
Switching To Medical Assisting After 30
It can be overwhelming to change careers later in life for a number of reasons. You may feel more comfortable and secure in your field at this stage. In fact, you may even be starting to climb the corporate ladder where you’re at now.
Also, the fact that you're an adult, with bills and maybe a family to care for, may make you hesitant about changing professions. Regardless if you're looking for more pay, more opportunities, more consistency in your scheduling, or simply more enjoyable and rewarding work, it's worth it to take those risks so you can be happier in your career.
If you’re looking to satisfy those needs in your life, a career in medical assisting may be just what you need to fulfill all of these desires and more! Find a local medical assistant program now.
What Is Medical Assisting?
Some of the daily responsibilities of a medical assistant include performing administrative work and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician.
Administrative Duties
Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.
Clinical Duties
Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by a physician.
Why Switch To Medical Assisting?
Beyond the reward that comes with helping others on a daily basis, there is also a financial reward. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay among medical assistants was $43,350 in 2023. The top 10% were paid $56,480 or more last year.
Not only is the consistent pay a tempting lure, but there’s also the aspect of joining a booming field. The demand for medical assistants is skyrocketing. In fact, the BLS expects a 14 percent projected growth rate in employment by 2032. That means the field of medical assisting is growing at a rate much faster than the average for all occupations.
How Much & How Long Is School?
If you’re interested in a career in the medical field, you may have a preconceived idea that schooling will be long and expensive; however, that’s simply not the case when it comes to medical assisting.
Length Of Different Medical Assistant Programs
With one of our partners' certified medical assisting programs, you can complete your training in as few as 10 months! Some online “complete at your own pace” medical assistant certification programs can be finished even faster than that. Diploma programs are about 10 months to 1 year long on average. Associate degrees in medical assisting take as few as 2 years to complete.
Certificate Program Cost
The typical cost for a fast online CMA program can range between $1,200 - $4,200.*
Diploma Program Cost
The cost for a 1 year diploma program may range from between $5,000 and $15,000.*
Associate Degree Program Cost
A 2 year associate's degree in medical assisting can be between $15,000 and $30,000.* And while this is certainly affordable, that doesn’t even include the potential benefits of financial aid, which is offered by most of our partnering programs.
*The approximate cost listed is before any qualifying financial aid is applied.
A Job You Can Enjoy
Yes, changing career paths can seem like an overwhelming task at times, but it can also be an amazing opportunity for anyone seeking more rewarding work.
If you’re looking to follow your passion, join a growing field, or find a more stable work environment, then a career in medical assisting may be perfect for you!
Find your local training program with help from our partner medical assistant schools.
Reference:
