Medical Assisting Job Growth and Opportunity

The field of medical assisting is on an upswing. Job postings per medical assistant (MA) completion more than doubled and the faster-than-average employment growth is likely to continue over the next decade. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), employment of medical assistants is expected to grow 23% from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations, which are expected to grow around seven percent.

Healthcare system redesign strategies, which encourage providers to work at the top of their licenses, are opening up opportunities for medical assistants to engage in higher-level responsibilities, driving greater job satisfaction amongst medical assistants working in these roles.

And some healthcare employers are now offering signing bonuses and career laddering opportunities to attract and keep medical assistants in their organizations. 

Trends requiring greater access to medical care include:

• Innovations and new treatments
• An aging population
• An increase in the numbers of patients with chronic diseases associated with obesity
• The Affordable Care Act

Advances in treatments and technology are allowing patients to live longer and healthier lives. Survival rates for diseases like cancer and heart attacks have greatly improved.