How many hours does a medical assistant work?

While many medical assistants work traditional work weeks and then have the weekend off, some also work on the weekends. The most common shift hours for a medical assistant is eight hours. However, there are other variations regarding shifts. Here are the most common shift hours for a medical assistant:

• 8 hours

• 5 hours

• 3 hours

• 12 hours

Patients might need care or administrative assistance at any point in the week. Because of this, medical assistants sometimes work on holidays and weekends. Depending on their working environment, there can also be variance in the hours medical assistants work. Here are the most common working environments for medical assistants:

• Doctor's office (Private practice)

• Hospitals

• Urgent care facility

• Emergency room (ER)

Those working in doctor's offices tend to have the most traditional schedules of 40 hours per week. With work schedules each day that come in variations like:

• 9 AM to 5 PM

• 8 AM to 4 PM

• 8 AM to 5 PM

Medical assistants working in hospitals, ERs, and urgent care facilities might have more erratic schedules that include shifts like overnights and weekends. These medical assistants are more prone to have like these:

• First shift - 8 AM to 4 PM (or sometimes 9 AM to 5 PM)

• Second shift - 4 PM to midnight

• Third shift (also called graveyard shift) Midnight to 8 AM