{"id":548,"date":"2025-12-17T09:20:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T09:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/certilyst.com\/resources\/?post_type=faq&#038;p=548"},"modified":"2026-01-05T09:11:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:11:14","slug":"what-type-of-medical-assistant-makes-the-most-money","status":"publish","type":"faq","link":"https:\/\/certilyst.com\/resources\/faq\/what-type-of-medical-assistant-makes-the-most-money\/","title":{"rendered":"What type of medical assistant makes the most money?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Q: What type of medical assistant makes the most money?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/certilyst.com\/resources\/faq\/what-is-the-passing-score-for-the-medical-assistant-exam\/\">Medical assistants<\/a> earn the highest salaries in specialized clinical roles and specific high-paying industries. The top specialties include Ophthalmology, Podiatry, and Dermatology. Additionally, working in non-clinical industries like insurance and education often results in wages significantly above the field&#8217;s average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What are the highest-paying medical assistant specialties?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> Based on aggregated salary data, these clinical specialties command the highest pay:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ophthalmology Medical Assistant:<\/strong> Specializes in eye care. Average salary approximately $54,338 per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Podiatry Medical Assistant:<\/strong> Assists with foot and ankle care. Average salary approximately $54,116 per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dermatology Medical Assistant:<\/strong> Works in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/career-advice\/finding-a-job\/high-paying-medical-assistant-jobs\">skin care clinics<\/a>. Average salary ranging from $47,200 to $53,000 per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oncology Medical Assistant:<\/strong> Provides support in cancer care. Average salary up to $50,700 per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cardiology Medical Assistant:<\/strong> Assists in heart health practices. Average salary around $45,859 per year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Which industries pay medical assistants the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> According to federal data, the top-paying industries for medical assistants are often outside of traditional clinical settings and leverage administrative expertise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Insurance Carriers:<\/strong> Annual mean wage of $51,410.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Junior Colleges:<\/strong> Annual mean wage of $50,680 (often for instructor or clinical support roles).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Scientific Research and Development Services:<\/strong> Annual mean wage of $49,930.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What other key factors increase earning potential?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> Beyond specialty and industry, three major factors significantly boost salary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Geographic Location:<\/strong> Salaries are highest in states with strong demand and high costs of living. Top states include Washington, California, Alaska, Massachusetts, and New York.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Certification:<\/strong> Holding a credential like the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) can increase pay by up to 10% and is frequently required for specialty positions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Workplace Setting:<\/strong> Medical assistants in hospital environments generally earn more than those in private physician offices due to larger scale and potential for shift differentials.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For a deeper understanding of medical field acronyms and organizations, you can review our previous FAQ on <a href=\"https:\/\/certilyst.com\/resources\/faq\/what-does-ama-stand-for-in-medical\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">what AMA stands for in medical terms<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","faq-categories":[],"class_list":["post-548","faq","type-faq","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What type of medical assistant makes the most money? 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