In the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand the medical assistant salary is in the range of $30,000 to $40,000 dollars. This is the highest comparative salary. In the United Kingdom, it is E15,683 ($17,061). This varies based on what skills are needed to practice in respective countries in addition to the experience of these professionals.
How will the salary look around the world? Explore this answer through a study of seven countries to see what factors influence the expected medical assistant salary and job outlook.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make per Year by Country?
| Medical Assistant Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa |
| Hourly Pay | $13.00 | C$15.00 | E7.00 ($7.62) | AU$21.00 ($16.15) | NZ$19.00 ($13.58) | Rs 130 ($1.95) | R46.15 ($3.35) |
| Annual Pay | $30,135 | C$39,547 | E15,683 ($17,061) | AU$49,621 ($38,156) | NZ$40,000 ($28,592) | Rs 478,956 ($7,170) | R95,999 ($6,973) |
Medical Assistant Salary Influencing Factors
Payscale.com had richer data for some countries than others. Countries that had limited data are supported by information from other resources. Factors that impact pay in this medical profession such as bonuses, commissions, and profit sharing are shared when known. These details will be expanded below.
1. Location
All of this information was gathered from payscale.com with the exception of New Zealand and India which also used additional resources.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in the US?
The salary for medical assistants in the United States is between $20,021 and $41,900. They have the chance to earn a bonus of $981, will receive a profit share of $243 to $3,636 dollars. A hefty commission of $9,436 is possible for productive workers. The hourly rate is $10.18 to $17.75. Those who have to work overtime make $9.94 to $26.25. After considering all of these factors, the total pay is $21,268 and $38,037 dollars.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Canada?
The medical assistant salary in Canada varies from C$24,395 for the 10th percentile to C$61,277 for the 90th percentile. Their regular hourly rate is C$11.42 to C$20.59 with an overtime rate of C$32.30. A small bonus of up to C$989 dollars may be earned. The total take home yearly pay for medical assistants in Canada is C$24,036 to C$46,614 dollars.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in the UK?
The salary of medical assistants in the United Kingdom ranges from E6,851 to E24,511 annually. The hourly rate does not change much between the 10th and 90th percentile of earners. It is E6.31 for the lowest earners and E9.42 for the top earners. If they have to work overtime they make E8.00. The total pay is E10,665 to E20,430.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in Australia?
Medical assistants in Australia make between AU$35,493 to AU$59,241 annually. Their hourly rate breaks down to AU$19.19 and AU$28.05. The overtime pay for these professionals is AU$27.00. Their total salary considering base salary and overtime is anywhere from AU$39,115 to AU$58,513 dollars.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in New Zealand?
The medical assistant salary in New Zealand starts at NZ$30,000 and can reach NZ$50,000 through experience. The hourly wage for all medical assistants in New Zealand is $16.62 to NZ$23.02. When these professionals work overtime they earn NZ$27.00. A bonus of up to NZ$3,973 could be earned. In fact, the total pay is Nz$34,653 to NZ$48,258.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in India?
In India, the people who complete the job of medical assistants are referred to as medical officers. These professionals cannot actually treat patients but can assist physicians and work with medical records. Their annual salary is Rs 194,491 to Rs 863,211.
They will earn a bonus of Rs 97,425, profit sharing of up to Rs 10,365 and a small commission of Rs 500. The normal hourly rate is Rs 90.60 to Rs 204.26 and the overtime weight is Rs 17.50 to Rs 750. The total take home pay is Rs 196,542 to Rs 888,861.
How Much Does a Medical Assistant Make in South Africa?
There is limited data for the medical assistant salary in South Africa. The total reported salary is R38,395 to R309,126. There is more information for medical receptionists. These individuals have a similar job in South Africa to medical assistants. Their median salary is R83,413 with a range of R44,106 to R130,715. The annual medical assistant salary with all bonuses considered is R46,246 to R136,103.
2. Experience
Experience impacts the medical assistant’s career differently depending on what field they work in. In Australia and India, professionals who have worked for more than 20 years receive significantly more than early-career medical assistants. In Australia, it is 33% higher and in India, it is 39% higher.
Medical assistants in the United Kingdom do not see any real increase in salary over time, while in the United States and New Zealand the increase in pay is more consistent. Entry level is down 7% and 6%, respectively, from the median and for experienced in New Zealand it is 11% above and for the United States late career medical assistants it is 18% higher.
It does not take long to become a professional in the field due to the low education required for being a medical assistant and the ability to quickly master the skills needed to adequately perform the job.
3. Industry
All medical assistants work in the healthcare field. Depending on the country, they could work in government-run systems or private systems, hospitals or doctor offices, schools or clinics.
In India, the people who do the job of medical assistants in the United States are known as medical officers. Similar to medical assistants, they do not need significant post-secondary education and cannot treat patients unless under the supervision of a nurse/physician.
Skills that reflect a higher pay in India are emergency medical services, in Canada are electronic medical records and medical terminology, and in the United States are obstetrics and internal medicine.
Medical assistants in the United States will work in physician offices, hospitals, multi-healthcare offices, and outpatient centers. They receive the highest mean salary in outpatient care centers and general hospitals at $33,000 dollars. Those working in multi-healthcare facilities average the least at $28,810 dollars.
Schedule & Working Hours
Due to the prevalence in overtime wages reported in multiple countries, it is implied that these professionals have to occasionally work extra hours. The majority of medical assistants work full time. If they work in settings like hospitals or clinics they will be expected to work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
People always need medical care and medical assistants are an integral part of a comprehensive health care team. They need to start working shortly before they begin working with patients to make sure that the records and equipment are ready for the day.
Bonuses & Benefits
Medical assistants are not guaranteed benefits beyond their basic pay. While some employers will contribute life or retirement benefits, this is dependent on company and location. One aspect that is consistent across countries is that medical assistants in the United States will receive more benefits than any other country. This is detailed in the table below.
| Country | United States | Canada | United Kingdom | Australia | New Zealand | India | South Africa |
| Medical | 63 | 40 | 33 | 12 | 33 | 64 | 30 |
| Dental | 46 | 28 | 17 | 7 | — | 10 | — |
| Vision | 37 | 16 | — | 7 | 2 | 10 | — |
Career Outlook
This industry is expected to grow 23% by the year 2024 in the United States. The areas in the United States that pay the most are Seattle, New York, District of Columbia, Alaska, Massachusetts, Washington, and Minnesota. Medical assistants increase the efficiency of physicians because they complete tasks so that more patients can be seen.
It is worth investing in the education to become a medical assistant. Students should focus on learning electronic health records because this is a valuable job skill in the United States and in Canada.
The areas in the United States that have the most medical assistant jobs are in Florida and Georgia. Florida has 5 of the top 10 areas for medical assistant jobs and Georgia has two of the top ten.
Conclusion
Medical assistants are a valued part of the healthcare team and enjoy a relatively low-stress level for their job. They have very specific tasks and are not expected to be creative or design their own workload. The job outlook is positive globally, and significant postsecondary education is not expected. It is an excellent entry job into the medical field. Most professionals leave this field after 10 years.
