How To Become An Office Manager/Medical Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is an office manager/medical assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

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

The Office Manager/Medical assistant is also known as a medical office assistant. They can work in a medical clinic, doctor's office, or private practice. Their job is to ensure that things run smoothly. They responsibilities are similar to a regular office assistant because they involve making copies, scheduling appointments, filing, and billing patients.

Medical office assistants may also answer phones, update patient records, and perform email correspondence. Other duties include supervising the delivery and use of medical supplies, monitoring the budget and financial expenses, and arranging hospital stays for patients.

Even though medical office assistants are not clinicians, they may often help doctors with tasks like patient examination and fetching medical supplies.

You can become a medical office assistant with a background in office management and a high school diploma. It's also helpful to get certified by the National Health Career Association.

What general advice would you give to an office manager/medical 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

ScoreOffice Manager/Medical AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,097

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.05%

Asian 8.45%

Black or African American 10.77%

Hispanic or Latino 23.02%

Unknown 5.04%

White 51.67%

Gender

female 93.16%

male 6.84%

Age - 35

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 - 35

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an office manager/medical assistant

Explore office manager/medical assistant education requirements

Most common office manager/medical assistant degrees

Associate

28.0 %

Certificate

23.5 %

Diploma

19.8 %

Start to develop specific office manager/medical assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	22.47%
Vital Signs	8.01%
EKG	6.82%
Patient Care	4.33%
Phlebotomy	3.85%

Complete relevant office manager/medical assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New office managers/medical assistant 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 an office manager/medical assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real office manager/medical assistant resumes.

Gain additional office manager/medical assistant certifications

Office manager/medical 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 office manager/medical assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for office managers/medical assistant include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research office manager/medical assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage front office operation, scheduling appointments, answering phones, filing insurance, including ICD-9 and CPT coding for insurance.
Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
Prioritize patient scheduling base on procedures, screen patient calls, telephone triage, and prepare exam rooms.
Utilize ICD-9, CPT and HCPCS to verify accuracy of medical codes, medical procedures and medical supplies.

Prepare your office manager/medical assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your office manager/medical 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 an office manager/medical 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 office manager/medical assistant resume templates

Build a professional office manager/medical 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 office manager/medical assistant resume.