How To Become A Medical Record Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a medical record assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA)

Do you visit your doctor for check-ups and get your previous health records in time? Applaud the Medical Record Assistant who didn't make you wait. They are responsible for documenting your health details from your first visit and then filling and securing them for later reference. They are trained to organize patient's records and files to produce all the information that doctors need.

It is not a must to have an academic medical background to be a Medical Record Assistant. But you must have a qualification equivalent to a bachelor's degree in order to justify your job duties adequately. There is no future for clumsy personalities in this field. You should be a very organized person with a sharp memory as you will be asked to present any particular file within a few minutes.

If you opt for this job, you can assist your doctor in getting patient records. It also helps to have a keen interest in gaining knowledge in the health sector. And can earn up to $17.27 for your hourly service. Usually, it would be best if you worked in shifts until there is a widespread emergency.

What general advice would you give to a medical record assistant?

Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA)

Faculty Coordinator of Allied Health/Medical Assistant Program Director, Midstate College

-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

ScoreMedical Record AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,870

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.8

Growth rate 11%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.25%

Asian 8.54%

Black or African American 9.13%

Hispanic or Latino 16.89%

Unknown 4.19%

White 60.00%

Gender

female 82.70%

male 17.30%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a medical record assistant

Explore medical record assistant education requirements

Most common medical record assistant degrees

Bachelor's

33.7 %

Associate

25.0 %

High School Diploma

15.2 %

Start to develop specific medical record assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	36.97%
Data Entry	7.80%
HIPAA	5.76%
Patient Care	4.06%
Vital Signs	4.05%

Complete relevant medical record assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New medical record assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a medical record assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real medical record assistant resumes.

Gain additional medical record assistant certifications

Medical record assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific medical record assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for medical record assistants include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research medical record assistant duties and responsibilities

Lead special department-wide task force initiative to minimize abuse of Oxycontin prescriptions bill to Medicaid.
Manage and organize all paperwork concerning caregivers and patients; organize filing system; ensure operation of electronic filing systems.
Work with EHR, provide medical records to patients and specialty centers.
Guide department through transition from paper charts to EHR system scan all patient records into database.

Prepare your medical record assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical record assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a medical record assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable medical record assistant resume templates

Build a professional medical record assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your medical record assistant resume.