Medical assistant jobs in Maryland

The typical medical assistant in Maryland earns $46,410 a year, about $22.31 an hour. Half earn more than that and half earn less. Nationally, the median is $45,690. Maryland places 20 out of 51 for pay, which includes the 50 states and DC.

Pay tends to cluster within a fairly tight range. Roughly half of Maryland medical assistants make somewhere between $39,390 and $49,110 a year. One in ten at the lower end makes $36,930 or less, while one in ten at the upper end makes $57,250 or more.

Most jobs are around Washington, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and Baltimore has the highest typical pay at $46,790. Several of these metro areas stretch past the state border, so the counts also cover positions in nearby jurisdictions.

The numbers come from the federal wage survey. Statewide, medical assistant roles make up around 5.9 out of every 1,000 jobs. Maryland places 17 out of 51 for the total number of positions.

The outlook is positive. Maryland's labor agency expects the field to expand, rising from 16,230 positions in 2024 to 18,450 in 2034. That works out to 13.6% growth, while the US rate is 12.5%. Maryland ranks 30 out of 51 for growth.

Those 2,280 annual openings include newly created positions as well as jobs vacated by workers who leave. Maryland ranks 17 out of 51 for openings.

Not in Maryland. The state does not require certification for medical assistants. Under the state rules, the physician you work for decides whether you have the training needed for a particular task. That physician remains answerable for your work.

Because the physician decides whether you are trained for each task, ask schools how their programs prepare you for the work you want to do.

Supervision describes how much oversight the physician provides. Each task has its own rule:

• Blood draws, EKGs, and oral medications: permitted while the physician is not present in the clinic
• Giving injections or beginning an IV in the arm or hand: a physician must be on site
• Medications given through an IV: direct supervision required
• Limited x-rays: registration as a Limited X-Ray Machine Operator with the Maryland Board of Physicians is required

For x-ray work, choose training that includes it, since registering with the board is a separate requirement.

Our list covers 11 schools in Maryland whose medical assistant graduates are reported to the federal education survey. 8 of those schools offer accredited programs. Accreditation means an outside organization, either CAAHEP or ABHES, has reviewed the program and confirmed that it meets set standards. You get an independent check on quality before signing up.

Career school programs are usually brief. Among schools that report this information, the median program runs 9 months, and most take between 7 and 9 months.

Price varies with the type of school. For career schools, the median cost of a complete program is $17,257, and that price includes books along with tuition and fees. At public colleges, a full-time year costs a median of $4,346 for students living in the district.

Some programs include online classes. The externship, however, takes place on site. An externship is the supervised practice you complete in an actual clinic or doctor's office before finishing the program.

The program table here lists the accredited programs in Maryland. When a program catches your eye, select it and fill out the brief Request information form. Only that single school receives your request.

The form needs:

1. Your name and email address.
2. A phone number and ZIP code where we can reach you.
3. The date you would like to begin.

Pick a program in the table and send your request today, and send a separate request from any other school's listing you want to ask about.