1. Baseline: CCMA & Related Positions
The CCMA credential can qualify you for an entry-level role as a medical assistant, sometimes also called a Clinical Medical Assistant or simply a CCMA. Many adult learners, including career changers and veterans, begin with these roles before stacking credentials and advancing.
The base pay for medical assisting roles starts around $30,000, with a median salary of $41,000. Experienced medical assistants and those in larger metro areas may earn upwards of $56,000. With MedCerts’ medical assisting training program, you can be job-ready in as little as 28 weeks.
2. Stackable Clinical Certifications: Higher Pay, Higher Value
If you’re prepared for a longer and more challenging program, MedCerts lets you start stacking certifications right away with bundled training pathways. These include specialized training in areas such as phlebotomy and echocardiography (EKG), which increase your versatility and earning potential as a job candidate.
Program options include:
- Clinical Medical Specialist: Learn medical assisting and phlebotomy in 32+ weeks, looking towards an average starting salary of $33,000.
- Clinical Medical Professional: Study medical assisting, phlebotomy and EKG in as little as 36 weeks, pursuing an average starting salary of $37,000.
- Geriatric Medical Assistant: Build skills to care for older adults, preparing for CCMA and medical administrative assistant (CMAA) certifications. The starting salary averages $44,000.
These expanded skill sets give you more opportunities and put you in higher demand.
3. Mid-Level Clinical and Leadership Roles
As you build skills and experience, you can qualify for positions with more responsibility. After three to five years, you may be a strong candidate for
- Lead Medical Assistant
- Clinical Coordinator
- Practice Manager
- Clinical Office Manager
Compensation for these roles often exceeds standard medical assisting salaries, and each has strong potential for upward mobility. Consider this route if you’re interested in team and operational leadership.
4. Adjacent Healthcare Pathways
With additional training and education, experience as a CCMA can prepare you for other careers in the healthcare industry. Some CCMAs may enjoy the administrative aspects of healthcare and pursue careers in health information management or medical billing and coding.
CCMA clinical experience is also a strong preparation for nursing pathways. Some schools offer licensed practical nursing (LPN) programs specifically for students with a medical assisting background. From there, you can pursue further training and experience and become a registered nurse.
Another long-term goal is to become a physician assistant (PA), a master’s-level role. Prior healthcare experience is typically required for PA programs, and medical assisting is a strong starting point.
Start Your Healthcare Journey Today
Whether you have a career trajectory in mind or are only starting to explore a healthcare career, MedCerts is here to help. Connect with an Educational Consultant and learn how medical assistant training can become your foundation.
