 Career
Path Forecast
Employment of medical
assistants is expected to grow 34 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster
than the average for all occupations. As the healthcare industry expands
because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging
of the population, there will be an increased need for all healthcare
workers. The increasing prevalence of certain conditions, such as
obesity and diabetes, also will increase demand for healthcare services
and medical assistants. Increasing use of medical assistants to allow
doctors to care for more patients will further stimulate job growth.
Helping to drive job
growth is the increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other
healthcare facilities that need a high proportion of support personnel,
particularly medical assistants who can handle both administrative and
clinical duties. In addition, medical assistants work mostly in primary
care, a consistently growing sector of the healthcare industry.
Jobseekers who want to
work as a medical assistant should find excellent job prospects. Medical
assistants are projected to account for a very large number of new jobs,
and many other opportunities will come from the need to replace workers
leaving the occupation. Medical assistants with formal training or
experience—particularly those with certification—should have the best
job opportunities, since employers generally prefer to hire these
workers.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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