Medical assistant jobs in Colorado

The median pay for medical assistants in Colorado is $48,400 yearly, which works out to $23.27 an hour. Half of workers make more than that figure, while the other half make less. Nationally, the median is $45,690, and Colorado places 10th of 51 on pay, a ranking that counts the 50 states plus DC.

Earnings tend to cluster within a fairly tight range. The middle half of Colorado medical assistants fall between $45,280 and $55,570. About a tenth earn $39,130 or less, while the top tenth earn $59,760 or more.

State labor officials expect roughly 2,080 openings each year for medical assistants. New positions make up part of that total, and so do jobs left behind when workers leave. Colorado ranks 19th out of 51 when it comes to yearly openings.

What stands out most is job growth: Colorado expects the number of medical assistant positions to increase from 12,970 in 2024 to 16,500 by 2034, a 27.2% rise. The national pace is 12.5%, putting Colorado 5th out of 51 for projected growth.

Roughly 13,160 people currently work as medical assistants in Colorado, equal to 4.6 for every 1,000 jobs. For the total number of these jobs, Colorado ranks 22 of 51.

Denver is the biggest job market by far, with about 6,440 of the state's 13,160 medical assistant jobs. Denver pays the most at $49,700 a year, and Grand Junction the least at $44,390.

The figures are drawn from the federal wage survey. Your clinical training happens in person, so a school close to home makes those hours easier to fit into your week.

Working as a medical assistant in Colorado does not require state certification. A state medical board rule instead describes which tasks a physician may assign to an assistant and how a physician supervises that work.

The rule treats taking a patient's history, drawing blood and checking vital signs as information-gathering tasks outside its delegation requirements. An assistant may not prescribe medications. Repeating a refill at the same dose is fine when a protocol is followed, and a protocol means written instructions supplied by the physician.

The physician needs to be on site unless written protocols exist. The physician checks the assistant's work every two weeks and reassesses them once a year.

Our list covers 22 Colorado schools whose medical assistant graduate numbers go to the federal education survey. Of those, 6 offer an accredited program. An accredited program has been approved by an outside agency, CAAHEP or ABHES, against set standards.

Nationwide, among career schools that report program length, the median is 9 months, and most report programs lasting 7 to 9 months. At career schools nationwide, the median cost for the whole program comes to $17,257, covering tuition, fees and books. Public colleges nationwide charge a median of $4,346 for one year of full-time study, based on in-district tuition and fees.

Some programs teach classes by distance education, but the supervised clinical practice (the externship) is always in person at a clinic or office. Nationwide, 30 programs can be completed this way, and 14 of those are accredited.

The Colorado programs page includes a table listing schools across the state. After the table, a Request information form lets you select a single accredited program and share your name, email, phone, ZIP code and start time.

Colorado expects about 2,080 openings a year and ranks 5th of 51 for job growth, so now is a good time to start. Pick the accredited program that fits you and send the short Request information form. Your request goes only to that school.