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How to hire a lead medical assistant

Lead medical assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring lead medical assistants in the United States:

  • There are a total of 559,079 lead medical assistants in the US, and there are currently 163,228 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a lead medical assistant is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per lead medical assistant on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Harrisburg, PA, has the highest demand for lead medical assistants, with 6 job openings.

How to hire a lead medical assistant, step by step

To hire a lead medical assistant, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a lead medical assistant:

Here's a step-by-step lead medical assistant hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a lead medical assistant job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead medical assistant
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the lead medical assistant you need to hire. Certain lead medical assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A lead medical assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lead medical assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list presents lead medical assistant salaries for various positions.

    Type of Lead Medical AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Lead Medical AssistantMedical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice.$11-30
    Medical ScribeAs a medical scribe, their main responsibility is to follow a physician's daily work and do charting of patient encounters in real-time by accessing their medical electronic health record (EHR). It is their duty to make sure the patient schedules are followed, generate referral letters for physicians and manage and sort medical documents within the EHR... Show more$11-18
    Medical Office AdministratorA medical office administrator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties within a health care institution, supplying physicians and medical professionals with patients' information, and coordinating with insurance companies. Medical office administrators handle the information and data management system to ensure the accuracy of patients' details, medical history, and treatment plans... Show more$12-19
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Vital Signs
    • Patient Care
    • Surgical Procedures
    • EKG
    • Phlebotomy
    • Customer Service
    • Exam Rooms
    • CPR
    • Laboratory Specimens
    • Patient Flow
    • Test Results
    • Venipuncture
    • Blood Pressure
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage company financial accounts, including employee payroll and tax document preparations.
    • Ensure the laboratory is CLIA compliant for semi-annual certification, provide annual CLIA waive competence.
    • Perform all staff yearly reviews and yearly competencies on the CLIA waive testing done in the office.
    • Alphabetize medications, accurately update and record patient medications and allergies in patient chart upon each visit.
    • Learned basic human anatomy and physiology.
    • Follow OSHA laboratory safety policies and procedures.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your lead medical assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lead medical assistant salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, lead medical assistants' average salary in alabama is 55% less than in massachusetts.
    • Seniority. Entry-level lead medical assistants earn 63% less than senior-level lead medical assistants.
    • Certifications. A lead medical assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lead medical assistant's salary.

    Average lead medical assistant salary

    $38,303yearly

    $18.41 hourly rate

    Entry-level lead medical assistant salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 29, 2025
  4. Writing a lead medical assistant job description

    A lead medical assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a lead medical assistant job description:

    Lead medical assistant job description example

    US-OR-Portland

    Type: Regular Full-Time
    Good Samaritan Medical Ctr campus

    Overview

    You serve as a crucial link between patient and physician, ensuring that the proper tests are administered and the results are accurately reported. Your care, competency and attention to detail reinforce the Legacy mission of making life better for others.

    The Medical Assistant Lead is responsible for assisting with patient care, maintaining department/clinic efficiency and other duties, as assigned. Participates as a member of the health care team in cooperation with and under the direction of a physician. Participates in daily operations under the supervisor or manager.

    Insert Site/Location Information



    Responsibilities

    COORDINATION

    Oversees the daily workload of the staff, including assignments, workflow, problem solving, etc.

    Creates the staff schedule, including coverage for vacations and sick days.

    Within scope of the position, responsible for employee performance on a given shift. Brings larger employee performance issues to attention of Supervisor or Manager as appropriate.

    Facilitates communication amongst staff, providers and management. Collaborates with other areas, site coordinators, departments and customers in problem solving and project management.

    Coordinates orientation of new staff.

    Coordinates with contract services.

    Coordinates the medical record process.

    Oversees the on-site referral process.

    May serve as the payroll timekeeper.

    Oversees purchasing and supply maintenance in specified area.

    MEDICAL ASSISTANT DUTIES

    Prepares patients and rooms for exams and procedures.

    Performs basic laboratory testing, point of care testing, phlebotomy and other quality controls.

    Administers medications as directed by physician/ nurse practitioner (as per site operations).

    Assists physician/nurse practitioner with exams and procedures.

    Performs procedures within scope of practice.

    Accurately documents medical information in the patient records.

    Tracks and routes test results to physician(s)/nurse practitioner(s) for review, and files results in medical records (as per site operations).

    Communicates test results with patients when deemed appropriate by physician/nurse practitioner.

    Facilitates patient care activities, to include scheduling ancillary tests, reinforcing patient education, and performs triage as appropriate and directed by physician/nurse practitioner (as per site operation).

    Maintains adequate inventory of medical, office, and pharmaceutical supplies.

    Demonstrates and maintains professional behavior in accordance with established standards.

    Exercises timely, concise, and appropriate use of telephone to meet needs of external and internal customers.

    Performs basic computer skills in using electronic health record proficiently while conducting daily documentation and communications involved in patient care.

    Processes orders appropriately and accurately.

    Performs other related duties as assigned.



    Qualifications

    Experience : Experience as a back office medical assistant in a clinic setting. One-year experience preferred. Keyboard skills and ability to navigate electronic systems applicable to job functions.

    Education : Completion of a medical assistant program or successful completion of a formal medical services training program of the United States Armed Forces, or higher education (such as LPN or RN).

    LEGACY'S VALUES IN ACTION:

    Follows guidelines set forth in Legacy's Values in Action.

    Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled



    PI193379639

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find lead medical assistants for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your lead medical assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit lead medical assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit lead medical assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead medical assistant

    Once you've found the lead medical assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lead medical assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a lead medical assistant?

There are different types of costs for hiring lead medical assistants. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new lead medical assistant employee.

Lead medical assistants earn a median yearly salary is $38,303 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find lead medical assistants for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $11 and $30.

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