Medical assistant jobs in North Dakota

Median means the middle amount, with half of medical assistants earning more and half earning less. Here in North Dakota, that figure is $45,980 a year, slightly higher than the US median of $45,690. That places the state 22nd out of 51 for pay, including the 50 states and DC.

The bottom ten percent make $37,650 or less each year, while the top ten percent make $58,230 or more.

Work tends to concentrate in the bigger metro areas. Bismarck leads in median pay, while Fargo has the largest number of positions.

The numbers come from the federal wage survey. Both the Fargo and Grand Forks areas cover communities across the river in Minnesota.

The market here is small. For the total number of medical assistant jobs, North Dakota comes 51st out of 51, and the state has 1.4 for every 1,000 jobs. North Dakota is also last, 51st of 51, for yearly openings, at about 90 a year.

The state's labor agency projects medical assistant jobs to grow from 660 in 2024 to 750 by 2034. That is 14.9% growth, ahead of the 12.5% expected nationwide and 26th out of 51, right around the middle nationally.

North Dakota lists medical assistants on the Board of Nursing's unlicensed assistive person registry. For the basic registry, the state takes either a training program or a certification, following the state rules.

Administering medications also requires registration as a Medication Assistant III. It is a higher tier on that same registry, and two items are required: a recognized medical assistant program plus a current national certification. Certification options include CMA, RMA, CCMA and NCMA.

At this level, someone can give injections into muscle, under the skin or into the skin. Giving medication through an IV is not allowed. Taking x-rays calls for a separate state imaging license.

Because medication work depends on completing a recognized program, your choice of school shapes the jobs you can do afterward. The Request information form on our home page or online programs page lets you contact one accredited program about getting started.

Just one school listed here in North Dakota shares its medical assistant graduate counts with the federal College Navigator database. None of North Dakota's listed programs is accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES.

Programs taken by distance education have classes online, with supervised clinical hours in person. Across the country, 30 programs are set up this way, and 14 are accredited. Choose an accredited one on our online programs page and send your request. During an externship, you practice under supervision at a real clinic or doctor's office, spending those hours on site.

Among career schools that publish this figure, the typical program lasts 9 months. Most run 7 to 9 months; some wrap up in 6 months or under, and a few stretch beyond a year. Among the schools shown here, 1,049 offer federal student aid.

National median pay for medical assistants is slightly higher than for nursing assistants and phlebotomists, but lower than for licensed practical nurses and registered nurses.