How to become a medical assistant
Answer
Most medical assistants finish a certificate program of about a year or a 2-year associate degree, then take a certification exam such as the CMA (AAMA) or RMA (AMT). Some states require a credential for certain tasks; most do not license MAs.
- Total time
- About 1 year
- Fastest path: A few months (on-the-job training)
- Minimum education
- High school diploma; most employers prefer a postsecondary certificate from an accredited medical assisting program
- Exam or license
- Certified Medical Assistant, CMA Certification Exam, from the American Association of Medical Assistants
- + 2 more · Not licensed in most states (certification optional); some states require an accredited program or credential for certain duties
- Typical cost
- $4.8K–$9.9K
- Tuition and fees before aid
Median pay once qualified: $45,690 a year ($21.97 an hour), BLS OEWS, May 2025. See medical assistant pay in every state.
Steps to become a medical assistant
6 steps
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1Finish high school or a GED
Time: 4 years (high school)Sources 1
Medical assisting programs generally expect a high school diploma or GED, and AMT's work-experience route to the RMA requires one. Biology, chemistry and anything with anatomy or health science make the first months of training easier, and typing and computer skills help with the records work. Some high schools and career centers run health-occupations programs that introduce vital signs and medical terminology, which can shorten your learning curve later.
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2Choose an accredited medical assisting program
Time: A few weeks of researchCost: Application fees, if anySources 2, 3
The CMA (AAMA) exam is open to students and graduates of programs accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES, so check both accreditors' program lists before enrolling. AAMA also has an alternative pathway for programs at other accredited colleges that meet set hours. Ask each school about total cost, externship placement, and whether graduates can sit for the CMA or RMA right away. Short, non-accredited courses can leave you ineligible for the credential employers want.
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3Complete a certificate, diploma or associate program
Time: About 9 months to 2 yearsCost: $4,680/yr median public in-state tuition (certificate)Sources 1, 3, 9
Coursework covers medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, infection control, billing and coding basics, and clinical skills such as vital signs, injections and phlebotomy. Practice happens in a campus lab before you work on real patients. AAMA's alternative pathway, for example, expects the equivalent of two semesters with at least 560 classroom contact hours, not counting the practicum, plus at least 10 injections and 10 blood draws performed. An associate degree adds general education and can transfer toward nursing.
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4Do a supervised externship
Time: About 160 hoursCost: Usually included in tuitionSources 3, 4
Most programs include a supervised externship, or practicum, in a physician's office or clinic. AAMA's alternative pathway and AMT's education route both call for at least 160 hours. You rotate through rooming patients, drawing blood, giving injections and front-desk work under supervision. The placement site may hire you afterward, so treat it like a long interview and ask for a reference before you leave.
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5Pass a certification exam
Time: Near or soon after graduationCost: $125-$250 (CMA) or $150 (RMA)Sources 2, 4, 7
The CMA (AAMA) exam costs $125 for AAMA members or $250 for nonmembers, and students in accredited programs can register once their classroom coursework is done. AMT's RMA costs $150, which includes the first annual fee, and requires an accredited program of at least 720 hours with a 160-hour externship, or three years of MA work within the past seven. NHA's CCMA is another widely recognized option. Choose the credential employers in your area list in their job postings.
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6Keep your credential current
Time: Every 5 years (CMA)Cost: Continuing education and renewal feesSources 8, 5, 6, 1
The CMA (AAMA) has to be renewed every 60 months, either by retaking the exam or by earning 60 continuing education points, 30 of them through AAMA. Once it has been expired for more than three months, you must retest. The RMA carries a $75 annual fee and 30 continuing education points every three years, and NHA's CCMA renews every two years with 10 CE credits. Employers may also require you to keep Basic Life Support (BLS) current.
How long it takes to become a medical assistant
Education options
| Option | Length | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical assisting certificate or diploma | About 1 year | Community colleges, technical schools, career schools | The quickest route to a credential. Look for CAAHEP or ABHES accreditation so you can sit for the CMA (AAMA). |
| Associate degree in medical assisting | About 2 years | Community colleges and some universities | Adds general education courses that may transfer toward a nursing or health administration degree. Suits people who plan to keep studying. |
| On-the-job training or apprenticeship | Several months | Physician offices, clinics and health systems | Some employers hire with a high school diploma and train in-house. After 3 years of qualifying work, AMT's work-experience route lets you sit for the RMA. |
Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings
| Field and credential (College Scorecard) | Programs | Tuition, public (in-state, per year) | Tuition, private (per year) | Median federal loan debt | Graduates’ median earnings after 4 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, undergraduate certificate | 1,376 | $4,680 | $16,229 | $9,500 | $34,272 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, associate's degree | 911 | $4,809 | $17,820 | $17,332 | $42,269 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.
Licensing, exams and certification
Most states do not license medical assistants, and there is no single national license. Instead, MAs work under the authority of a licensed provider, and the state decides which tasks a provider may delegate. BLS notes that some states require MAs to graduate from an accredited program, hold a certification or meet other rules before doing certain work, such as giving injections.
Certification is voluntary in most places, but many employers require it. The main credentials are the CMA (AAMA), which needs a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program or AAMA's alternative pathway; the RMA from American Medical Technologists, which accepts education, work-experience and military routes; and NHA's CCMA. The CMA must be renewed every 60 months through continuing education or a retest, the RMA needs 30 CE points every three years plus an annual fee, and the CCMA renews every two years.
Rules on what MAs may do change from state to state. Check your state's requirements in the CareerOneStop License Finder and with the state medical board before you choose a program.
| Exam or credential | Issued by | Required? | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Medical Assistant, CMA (AAMA)2 | American Association of Medical Assistants | Optional | $125 members, $250 nonmembers (as of 2026) |
| Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)4 | American Medical Technologists (AMT) | Optional | $150 including first annual fee (as of 2026) |
| Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)6 | National Healthcareer Association (NHA) | Optional | See issuer |
| Basic Life Support (BLS)1 | Various providers | Optional | See issuer |
Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.
Skills and qualities that matter
- Accuracy with vital signs and records
- A wrong blood pressure, allergy or medication entry follows the patient through every later visit and can lead to a bad decision by the provider.
- Phlebotomy and injection technique
- Drawing blood and giving shots on the first try keeps patients calm and the schedule on time.
- Clear patient communication
- MAs often explain prep instructions, new prescriptions and follow-up steps, and patients act on what they understood, not what the doctor meant.
- Multitasking under a tight schedule
- A single MA may room patients for two providers while answering portal messages and handling referrals.
- Comfort with health record software
- Most charting, orders and scheduling happen in an electronic health record, and fast, clean entries keep the whole clinic moving.
- Infection control
- Cleaning rooms and instruments correctly between patients protects both patients and staff from spreading illness.
O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking, monitoring.
What it costs and what it pays
Compare careers- Training cost
- $4.8K–$9.9K
- Before financial aid
- Time
- About 1 year
- Typical path
- Median pay
- $45,690
- All US jobs: $50,980
- Payback once qualified
- No premium
- Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost
Low: 1 year x College Scorecard median public in-state tuition for medical assisting certificates, $4,680, plus the CMA (AAMA) exam at the member rate of $125. High: 2 years x the associate-degree median, $4,809 = $9,618, plus the $250 nonmember CMA fee. The RMA costs $150. Not included: lab fees, scrubs, background check, books and living costs. Private career schools often charge much more than public colleges.
Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.
Where the career can lead
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Licensed practical nurse$64,400 median
Requires a state-approved practical nursing program and passing the national practical nursing licensing exam for a state license.
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Registered nurse$97,550 median
Takes an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing and passing the national RN licensing exam; some MA associate credits may transfer.
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Medical billing and coding specialist$51,140 median
Builds on the administrative side of the job; a medical coding program and a coding credential are the usual next steps.
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Phlebotomist$45,230 median
MAs who are good at blood draws can move into a lab or hospital phlebotomy role; some employers ask for a phlebotomy certification.
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Physician assistant$135,880 median
A longer path: a bachelor's degree, patient-care hours (MA experience often counts) and a master's-level PA program.
Can you become a medical assistant online?
You can do part of medical assistant training online but not all of it. Programs often teach terminology, anatomy and coding online or in hybrid classes. Clinical skills such as vital signs, injections and blood draws must be practiced in a campus lab, and the externship happens in a real clinic. The CMA and RMA education routes require an in-person practicum or externship of at least 160 hours, so an online-only course without one can leave you ineligible for those credentials. NHA sets no externship requirement for the CCMA.
FAQ: becoming a medical assistant
How long does it take to become a medical assistant?
Usually about a year. Certificate and diploma programs at community colleges and technical schools take about a year, including an externship, and an associate degree takes about 2 years. Some people are hired with only a high school diploma and trained on the job over several months. Add a few weeks after graduation to sit for a certification exam such as the CMA or RMA.
Do you need to be certified to work as a medical assistant?
In most states the law does not require it, but many employers do. Many employers prefer or require a credential, and some states limit tasks such as injections to MAs who completed accredited training or hold a credential. The most common credentials are the CMA (AAMA), the RMA from American Medical Technologists and the CCMA from NHA.
What is the difference between a CMA and an RMA?
Both are national medical assistant credentials, from different organizations. The CMA (AAMA) requires graduation from a CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited program or AAMA's alternative pathway and costs $125 to $250. The RMA from American Medical Technologists costs $150 and also accepts work experience or military training. Most employers accept either, but check local job postings.
Can medical assistants give shots?
In many settings, yes, under the direction of a physician or other licensed provider. Injections are part of standard medical assisting training, and AAMA's alternative pathway requires at least 10 supervised injections. Each state decides what can be delegated to an MA, and some require specific training or a credential first. Check your state's rules and your employer's policy.
Can a medical assistant become a nurse?
Yes, and many do. MA experience does not replace nursing school, but it gives you patient-care skills and clinic references that help in applications. The quickest step is usually an LPN program. Becoming a registered nurse takes an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, and some credits from an MA associate degree may transfer.
Sources for this guide
Checked October 28, 2026
- Medical Assistants, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- CMA (AAMA) Eligibility, American Association of Medical Assistants · checked October 28, 2026
- Alternative Pathway, American Association of Medical Assistants · checked October 28, 2026
- Registered Medical Assistant Certification (RMA), American Medical Technologists · checked October 28, 2026
- Maintain Certification with AMT, American Medical Technologists · checked October 28, 2026
- How do I keep my NHA certification current?, National Healthcareer Association · checked October 28, 2026
- Transitioning Online FAQ, National Healthcareer Association · checked October 28, 2026
- Recertification, American Association of Medical Assistants · checked October 28, 2026
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 31-9092
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- O*NET 31.0 Database (31-9092.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.