How much do clinical assistants make?

A senior clinical assistant may make $140,000 in San Francisco. On the other end of the scale, an entry-level clinical assistant salary in the midwest typically ranges from $40,000 to $53,000 a year.

Clinical assistants typically have a high school diploma and are the members of the healthcare team that physicians, surgeons, and other providers depend on to properly take and record important medical information.

Good clinical assistants can bring both knowledge and skills of the healthcare environment and empathy and good communication skills. Many clinical assistants work in hospitals. In contrast, others work in medical and diagnostic laboratories or doctors' offices.

Clinical assistants receive screen, interview, and register patients or clinical research subjects. They also record vital signs as appropriate to clinic operations and may assist with routine medical procedures as appropriate to training or certification.

The organization they work for also influences their salary. Large, influential hospitals tend to pay clinical assistants more than the local small-town doctor's office. But this can vary significantly depending on how the specific organization manages its staff.