How to become a medical assistant

Steps to become a medical assistant

Most medical assistants follow four steps: a high school diploma, a medical assisting program or supervised work experience, a national certification exam, and regular renewal.^{[ooh_ma][nha_ccma][aama_elig]} Certification is not a federal requirement, but it decides which exams and employers are open to you, so plan the training around the credential you want.

1. Get a high school diploma or GED. NHA, for example, requires a diploma or GED, or graduation within 12 months.^[nha_ccma]
2. Choose a training route. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award (a certificate or diploma program) as the typical entry-level education.^[ooh_ma] If you want the CMA (AAMA), the program must be accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES.^[aama_elig] If you are already working in a clinic, NHA's CCMA also accepts 1 year of supervised medical assisting work in the last 3 years.^[nha_ccma]
3. Pass a certification exam. The three most common are the CMA (AAMA), NHA's CCMA and AMT's RMA. Fees and eligibility are compared on medical assistant certification.
4. Check state rules. States set their own limits on what medical assistants may do, such as injections and blood draws (see California below).
5. Keep the credential current. NHA certifications renew every 2 years with 10 continuing education credits; the CMA (AAMA) recertifies every 60 months.^{[nha_ccma][aama_recert]}

Medical assistant training routes

There are two ways in: a formal program or on-the-job experience, and the choice limits which credential you can earn.^{[aama_elig][nha_ccma]}

*The AAMA also lists an Alternative Pathway and an educator route; check its eligibility page.^[aama_elig] AMT publishes its own routes for the RMA.^[amt_rma]

The trade-off is simple: an accredited program costs more but keeps every exam open, while learning on the job costs nothing but steers you toward the CCMA.

Medical assistant requirements by state

Medical assistant requirements are set by each state's medical board, and California is the clearest example.^[mbc_ma] California does not license medical assistants, but before a medical assistant there may give injections or draw blood, the Medical Board requires at least 10 clock hours of training for each of those tasks, including 10 supervised injections, skin tests, venipunctures and skin punctures.^[mbc_faq] The Board also approves only certain certifying organizations (AAMA, AMCA, AMT, CCBMA and MMCI), and NHA is not among them.^[mbc_ma] Washington goes further and issues its own medical assistant credentials through the Department of Health, including a Medical Assistant–Phlebotomist certification.^[wa_doh_ma]

California's rules and pay by metro are on medical assistant salary in California. Washington, at a $59,290 median, is the best-paying state for the job.^[onet_ma]

How long it takes and what it costs

How long it takes to become a medical assistant depends on the program you choose; BLS classifies the typical route as a postsecondary nondegree award, which is shorter than an associate degree.^[ooh_ma] The exam is the smallest part of the cost: $125 for the CMA (AAMA) for AAMA members and recent graduates, $250 for non-members, and $150 for AMT's RMA.^{[aama_app][amt_rma]} Tuition depends on the school, so enter your program's published cost below to see when the training pays for itself.

The default first salary is the national 25th percentile for medical assistants, $38,470.^[onet_ma]

Medical assistant job outlook and pay

BLS projects medical assistant employment to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.^[ooh_ma] There were 817,870 medical assistant jobs in May 2025, and the median wage was $45,690, with the top 10% above $59,310.^{[oews_api][onet_ma]} State and metro pay are on medical assistant salary. If you prefer desk work, medical billing and coding salary is the closest office-side career; if you like the clinical side but want higher pay, compare surgical tech salary and the other careers on the allied health salary overview.