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Job outlook for medical office administrators in the United States
Medical office administrator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected medical office administrator job growth rate is -8% from 2018-2028.
About -286,900 new jobs for medical office administrators are projected over the next decade.
Medical office administrator salaries have increased 11% for medical office administrators in the last 5 years.
There are over 342,191 medical office administrators currently employed in the United States.
There are 179,503 active medical office administrator job openings in the US.
The average medical office administrator salary is $34,252.
Are medical office administrator jobs in demand?
Medical office administrator job and salary trends over time
Medical office administrator jobs over time
Medical office administrator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 342,191 | 0.10% |
| 2020 | 409,963 | 0.12% |
| 2019 | 407,966 | 0.12% |
| 2018 | 332,762 | 0.10% |
| 2017 | 327,376 | 0.10% |
Average medical office administrator salary over time
Medical office administrator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $34,252 | $16.47 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $33,546 | $16.13 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $32,794 | $15.77 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $31,740 | $15.26 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $30,933 | $14.87 | +2.1% |
Medical office administrator jobs by state
Most common states for medical office administrators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,321 | 42% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 276 | 40% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 281 | 38% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,537 | 37% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 500 | 37% |
| 6 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 727 | 35% |
| 7 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 461 | 35% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 331 | 34% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 255 | 34% |
| 10 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 571 | 33% |
| 11 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 4,122 | 32% |
| 12 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 3,163 | 30% |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,851 | 30% |
| 14 | Vermont | 623,657 | 182 | 29% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,564 | 28% |
| 16 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,008 | 27% |
| 17 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,250 | 26% |
| 18 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 1,136 | 26% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,065 | 26% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 266 | 25% |
Most common cities for medical office administrators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milton | 2 | 7% | $41,418 |
| 2 | Holland | 2 | 6% | $29,136 |
| 3 | Brockton | 5 | 5% | $41,347 |
| 4 | Bozeman | 2 | 4% | $28,604 |
| 5 | Baltimore | 16 | 3% | $35,056 |
| 6 | Bethesda | 2 | 3% | $34,798 |
| 7 | Novi | 2 | 3% | $29,515 |
| 8 | Aiken | 1 | 3% | $32,211 |
| 9 | Farmington Hills | 2 | 2% | $29,538 |
| 10 | Allentown | 1 | 1% | $32,094 |
| 11 | Columbia | 1 | 1% | $34,942 |
| 12 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $41,475 |
| 13 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $44,023 |
Medical Office Administrator job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of medical office administrator experts
Midstate College
Ohio University
Tarleton State University
Springfield College
DePaul University
International Association of Administrative Professionals
What will help Medical Office Administrators increase their earning potential?
Eve Leija AAS, NCMA: To meet the demands of evolving healthcare and provide high-quality care to patients technological proficiency (EHR systems, Telehealth support), clinical skills (any skills that can enhance what you’ve learned in school. Phlebotomy, point of care testing devices), communication and soft skills (adaptability, problem-solving, empathy and compassion) are a must. I feel a lot of the younger generation lacks the soft skills needed in healthcare/professional jobs. Administrative skills and patient care and safety (infections control and chronic disease management).
What general advice would you give to a Medical Office Administrator?
Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA): -LIKE- People who enjoy working as a Medical Assistant do it because they get a
great satisfaction from help other people. They are often the first contact with the
patient in the medical facility, which sets the tone for the rest of the visit.
They feel good making sure that their patients have the right information that they
need, the appropriate medical care they need, and helping patients feel better.
Good problem-solving skills, compassion, understanding, patience and keeping
up with a fast-paced office is very rewarding.
-DISLIKE- Some Medical Assistants have determined that there are
area/tasks/etc. that they dislike, listed below are some of these things:
You’re always around people who are sick
Long work hours can include 10 or 12-hour days
Lower starting salary, which is usually based on education and
experience level
Having to deal with stressful situations and difficult patients
Dealing with patients who are angry, cranky, anxious or not feeling well
Working under pressure from extremely tight deadlines
What skills stand out on Medical Office Administrator resumes?
Greg Kessler Ph.D.: I am not sure that there are any particular skills that stand out on resumes, but familiarity with instructional design principles should be considered to be very valuable. I also think that knowledge of multimedia principles, social media, and various forms of virtual and immersive experiences. Also, knowledge of AI and the other things I referred to in the trends above.
Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy
Assistant ProfessorTarleton State University
Public Administration
What Medical Office Administrator skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Jacqueline Abernathy: I think this piggybacks a little bit on what I said above on finding a way to distinguish oneself from the competition. Anything done during a gap year would hopefully yield some knowledge, skill, or ability that can be listed as a bullet point on their resume that others may not have. Suppose a student just wants to travel to China for a while and see the Great Wall. "Back-packed in the Orient" would not be a resume bullet but "conversational in Mandarin" would be. To a lesser extent, "Cultural competency with Chinese colleagues and associates" would be, and if asked, the student could explain their familiarity with Chinese customs and etiquette came from extensive time abroad. That might give the students an advantage in certain jobs, but just being able to speak another language could be a job in itself, like as a translator. Whatever a student does during a gap year, ideally, they should walk away with a skill that someone will pay for.
Unfortunately, because of economic realities, a lot of students just take the year off to work and they work in a job where a year of experience won't necessarily count for much (if anything) when they graduate with their expected degree. This goes for both high school graduates and college graduates taking a break before their next degree. I've read the arguments about the benefits of taking a gap year, but aside from students that are on a waiting list for a prestigious program who just have time to kill, I personally find the concept of a gap year to be ill-advised as a general rule, more so between an undergraduate degree and masters or masters and doctorate. Often times the pitfalls outweigh the benefits at any stage. It just presents an opportunity for life to get in the way of something a student knows they want to do, or it delays it. Someone fresh out of high school taking a gap year to get a skill that they think will benefit them in their career after graduation might find themselves in a completely different career by the time they graduate. And university graduates who plan to further their education- taking a break or just working for a while before graduate school can put them at a disadvantage. Taking a break makes graduate school potentially harder once they have gotten used to living without that stress, the transition back to a student can be unnecessarily difficult than if they went straight through.
Those who start their career with a bachelor's degree when they know they need more than can make life choices and financial commitments that are very difficult to keep in grad school. Perhaps they financed a car or became invested in a project they don't want to abandon but would have easier with a master's degree. Or they start a family and now have to juggle caring for and providing for their family with getting the next degree they need when caring for family would have likely been easier if they had an advanced degree. My bachelor's degree was in social work and many of my classmates decided that they just wanted to work for a while before attending grad school, only to find their return to school delayed and all of the experience they gain with that license not translating into an advantage after they graduated and were looking for a job with the higher license. Essentially many of them just had to play catch-up to those that went straight through and started their career at a higher level. Starting at one level when you know that you need the next level can just be lost time, especially since starting with a bang would only put off working for two years to get the next degree.
I had classmates that intended to go back after a year or two, but by the time they intended to return, they fell in love, got married, had beautiful babies, and all of these blessings meant that they couldn't walk away from a job and health insurance to study full-time. This meant it was harder and took far longer and increased their time working for lower pay, whereas if they hadn't taken a break, they would be working full-time at a higher pay with no classes to juggle. I'm not suggesting that people put off life until school is done or delay marriage, children, or buying a home in favor of going back to school if that is their next step in life, only that they can't assume that it'll be easy to just pick up where they left off if they choose to wait.
Less fortunate things can happen as well, like health crises and caregiving, developing an illness, or having to care for aging parents. These things would have been easier if they have chosen to go straight through. These are some reasons why I think taking a gap year is risky. But if anybody wants to take a gap year, I would be conscientious not to commit to anything that would delay returning to school or not make up for that time by giving them a competitive edge. Otherwise, a year off can easily turn into a decade and it can just add up to lost time.
What general advice would you give to a Medical Office Administrator?
Eileen Cyr Ed.D.: Use every resource at their disposal to increase their understanding of SEL and FACE. Build a resume that provides evidence of their ability to thrive in both a virtual and face to face classroom. Be prepared to engage with online platforms like Zoom, Nearpod, Jamboard, Padlet, and google slides.
Breathe - the airline advice of putting on your oxygen mask before assisting others is 100% applicable to today's teachers.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Medical Office Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Eileen Cyr Ed.D.: The pandemic's financial ramifications will impact state and district budgets, and schools will likely be required to do more with fewer resources. This could potentially trickle down to personnel cuts. Even with this possibility, I believe that there will be an abundance of job opportunities related to early retirement and the predicted exodus from the profession.
In one form or another, virtual teaching is here to stay. I live in New England and believe that we will never have another "snow day." Teachers will need to provide lesson plans that can be carried out both in person and virtually. I believe that it is likely that students who are out sick due to minor illness will be required to attend virtually.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Medical Office Administrator job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Anna Frank: Health care! Not just once the individual is sick, but prevention. No one wants to be at a "higher" risk for catching viruses. The public realizes that health is in their control. In response to the pandemic, more and more individuals go outside for physical activity or use their extra time to get healthy. Walking trails are packed, bikes for children were out of stock this summer, and purchasing home fitness equipment is rising. Professionals are needed to guide the public to new programming, access to facilities, and knowledge in the broad wellness area. Specifically, I think there is a better appreciation for the value of leisure time, recreation, and taking care of ourselves. Our health care systems know this and are supporting efforts to engage in activities that make their clients healthier.
How do you envision technology impacting Medical Office Administrators in the next 5 years?
Veronica Cochran: Technology will continue to change the nature of work and how work actually gets done for every profession and professional. In particular, it will enable administrative professionals to increase organization and prioritization, optimize performance, and improve efficiency and effectiveness. Technology will support our connectivity - further empowering collaboration, inclusion and teamwork. It will help administrative professionals better manage projects through shared accountability, allowing us to track and evaluate our progress to optimize desired outcomes in real-time.