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

What is a senior medical assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

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

Senior medical assistants administer para-professional nursing care. They work with members of the health care team in coordinating and implementing plans for patient care. They record patient history for medical staff review. Also, they prepare the patient for the physician, administer and record laboratory tests. Additionally, they help in coordinating the organization of patient needs which include preparing and organizing patient clinic charts. Asides from that, they ensure orderliness and cleanliness of examination rooms, stock assigned rooms, and maintain inventory of supplies daily.

Primarily, employers require a high school diploma or its equivalent. Candidates must have completed a six-month to a one-year course in Medical Assisting at an accredited school. Some employers prefer a current medical assistant certification with specialized certifications as required. You must possess at least three years of relevant experience. Senior medical assistants make an average salary of $40,676 per year. This varies from $30,000 to $56,000.

What general advice would you give to a senior 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

ScoreSenior Medical AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,113

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.84%

Asian 9.16%

Black or African American 10.58%

Hispanic or Latino 23.21%

Unknown 4.84%

White 51.39%

Gender

female 69.49%

male 30.51%

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 a senior medical assistant

Explore senior medical assistant education requirements

Most common senior medical assistant degrees

Bachelor's

26.4 %

Certificate

22.0 %

Associate

22.0 %

Start to develop specific senior medical assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	13.51%
Vital Signs	8.21%
Patient Care	8.11%
Exam Rooms	5.05%
CPR	4.88%

Complete relevant senior medical assistant training and internships

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

Gain additional senior medical assistant certifications

Senior 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 senior medical assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

More About Certifications

Research senior medical assistant duties and responsibilities

Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
Demonstrate proficiency in triage, phlebotomy, injections and various diagnostic procedures and ancillary tests.
Prioritize data entry daily to ensure patients labs and procedure results are immediately available for access.
Require to deliver daily lecture & clinical, teach CPR, typing, and hands-on lab.

Get senior medical assistant experience

Generally, it takes 6-12 months to become a senior medical assistant. The most common roles before becoming a senior medical assistant include medical assistant, certified nursing assistant team lead and medic.

Prepare your senior medical assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior 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 a senior 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 senior medical assistant resume templates

Build a professional senior 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 senior medical assistant resume.