Medical assistant jobs in Alabama

There are roughly 13,300 medical assistant jobs in Alabama. That means 6.3 medical assistant jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide, according to federal wage data. In a ranking of the 50 states and Washington, DC, Alabama comes in 21st of 51.

The state's labor agency forecasts around 1,910 openings each year. New positions make up part of that number, and so do jobs that open up when workers leave or retire. The same projection shows the total climbing from 13,100 jobs in 2024 to 15,360 in 2034. That works out to 17.3% growth, which beats the 12.5% predicted for the US overall. Alabama places 19th of 51 for growth.

A typical medical assistant in Alabama earns $36,100 a year, about $17.35 an hour. Half earn more and half earn less. That is well below the US median of $45,690 a year. For pay, Alabama ranks 50th of 51, federal data shows.

Pay in Alabama stays in a fairly narrow range. The middle half fall between $32,390 and $38,360 a year. At the bottom, one in ten earn $29,630 or less. At the top, one in ten earn $45,040 or more.

Birmingham leads by a large margin in the number of jobs. Huntsville has the highest median pay of these metro areas. Each figure covers the entire metro area rather than city limits alone.

Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage tables.

You can work as a medical assistant in Alabama without state certification. No state law specifically names this occupation, and the Board of Nursing has no oversight role.

The Board of Medical Examiners says that unlicensed staff may give injections when a physician assigns the task and supervises them directly. Medication decisions for patients belong to the physician alone.

Twenty Alabama schools on our list train medical assistants and report graduate numbers to the federal education survey, and 12 of them have accredited programs. You can compare them all on our Alabama program page. Accreditation means an outside body, CAAHEP or ABHES, has checked the program and signed off on it.

The price you pay depends on the kind of school. Career schools that set a single price for the entire program charge a median of $17,257 nationally, including fees and books. Public colleges charge a median of $4,346 in in-district tuition and fees for a year of full-time study, per federal school data.

Program length matters as well. Among career schools that report this information, the median program runs 9 months, and most last 7 to 9 months. Once you find an accredited program that suits you, fill out the short form and request details from that school.

Certain programs offer classes through distance education. The practical training still happens face to face. You complete supervised clinical practice in person, even if you take the classes online. Across the country, 30 programs can be completed through distance education plus those clinic hours. Of those, 14 are accredited.

On our Alabama program page, a "Request information" form appears just below the program tables. Choose one accredited program, then enter your name, email, phone, ZIP code and the start time you want. Your request goes only to the school you chose.