Who doesn’t want to get paid more? There are definitely some ways to boost your marketability and earning potential. A medical assistant’s median salary is $29,218 . Mid sized institutions tend to pay more than smaller practices, according to Payscale’s Median Salary by Company Size Charts.
Medical assistants can advance by experience and certification. Medical assistants can advance by earning certification in a specialty including podiatry, optometry, and ophthalmology. Some advance to other health care or nursing specialties through additional education, certification, and licensure. Others advance to office administration or office management.
One of the best ways to get a pay raise is to add to your experience and qualifications by taking a course or program that will provide you with new skills to offer to your employer. For example if you are well experienced as a certified medical assistant you could consider taking a course leading to a degree or diploma in nursing allowing you to apply for a position offering a higher salary range. If you are new to the job then adding to your educational achievements will always be of benefit with your existing employer and also make you more attractive to potential new employers.
Obtaining a degree or diploma from an accredited medical assistant school will certainly help you to quickly rise up the salary scale. Gaining on the job practical experience and seeking to specialize into a particular field will also improve your career opportunities.
Being in a medical assistant course is a huge commitment, but the opportunities are out there to improve your life and those of the patients you come in contact with, Also,talk to other medical assistants and your educators and see what strategies they have to be successful in the healthcare field.
Hospitals, health care centers, private and community clinics are expanding as the population increases resulting in more positions becoming available. And the work they do is vital to the smooth running of their workplace as they interact with patients both face-to-face and on the phone as well as looking after their clinical needs when they visit the center. As the scope of the job is very varied salary levels will be set based upon the specific duties and responsibilities carried out as well as the employer’s location.
A positive attitude, a desire to learn and commitment to the organization are also attributes that will show your potential.
Refined skills are invaluable, but so is an ability to work well with others. Your employer will see your value and importance within the company.
Your greatest ability to negotiate salary is when you have options. Negotiating salary can be tricky. Large institutions (hospitals, government health agencies, or private companies), typically set up a salary range (or salary band), so the organization will have a little room to move on salaries (about 5-10%). Smaller practices are less likely to have as much wiggle room on salary.
Asking for a raise is, as some say, “one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but it pays off.” It shows you’re assertive, interested in staying in your job, looking to advance and able to articulate your strong points. Even if you don’t get the results you want, your request may spur your supervisor to think about what it will take, like more flexibility, greater challenges or better benefits, to keep you happy.