Medical assistants take blood pressure readings and do other routine tasks.
Medical assistants help streamline patient examinations and treatments and handle certain office tasks so that a health care facility runs more efficiently. They mainly work for hospitals, clinics and offices of physicians and other health care providers, such as chiropractors and podiatrists. The average salary of medical assistants in Louisville, Kentucky, is similar to the national average for this occupation.
Job Features
A medical assistant interviews patients, takes vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse rate and records information on each patient's chart. Some assistants draw blood and collect urine samples and prepare the specimens for laboratory analysis. Medical assistants keep examination and treatment rooms neat and orderly and restock supplies. Those with office duties schedule appointments, update computer records, complete insurance forms and send invoices.
Salary Range
The median nationwide salary for medical assistants is about $29,600 per year, according to Salary.com. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the same figures for the average salary in 2009, at $14.20 per hour, or about $29,600 per year. Medical assistants in the middle 50 percent of the earnings scale were making $27,000 to $32,400. The bottom 10 percent had annual salaries below $24,800, and the top 10 percent more than $34,900.
Specific Counties
In Louisville, the median salary for medical assistants is about $28,250. The middle 50 percent range was $25,800 to $30,900. Medical assistants in the bottom 10 percent of the salary scale in Louisville had annual incomes below $23,600, and the top 10 percent more than $33,200.
Comparisons
Other Kentucky cities relatively close to Louisville generally had a bit lower average salary for medical assistants. Those in Bowling Green were earning $26,100 per year, in Lexington $27,000 and in Frankfort $27,800. Medical assistants in nearby Cincinnati, Ohio, were making $28,800 on average.
Credentials
Some medical assistants receive on-the-job training, while others complete formal training for a one-year certificate or diploma or a two-year associate's degree. For those who graduate from an approved program, professional certification is available from the American Association of Medical Assistants. After the individual passes an examination from this organization, she is awarded the credential of certified medical assistant (CMA). Kentucky does not require this certification, but some employers do, so it can boost job opportunities. Some employers also require formal training in phlebotomy, or blood drawing, and certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Jobs
The job search website Indeed.com shows about 70 job listings for medical assistants in the Louisville area, with hourly pay ranging from $11 to $13.50. Positions were available in hospitals, clinics, pediatric practice, medical laboratories and local government.
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