Medical assistant jobs in West Virginia

The state's labor agency forecasts roughly 690 openings every year. That total includes newly created jobs and workers who leave the profession. West Virginia places 37 of 51 here, a count that includes the 50 states and Washington, DC. The numbers come from Projections Central.

Job growth tells an even better story. According to the agency, employment climbs 21.1% between 2024 and 2034, moving from 4,560 positions to 5,520. Nationally, the figure is 12.5%, and West Virginia holds 11 of 51 for growth, based on Projections Central.

Right now, about 4,540 people hold medical assistant jobs in the state. That is 6.5 for every 1,000 jobs, putting West Virginia at 37 of 51 for total employment, according to federal wage data.

A typical medical assistant in West Virginia earns about $37,180 a year, or $17.87 an hour, compared with $45,690 across the US. On pay, West Virginia ranks 48 of 51, according to federal wage data.

Here is how pay is spread. The middle half earn somewhere from $35,540 to $41,140. At the bottom of the range, a tenth earn $30,890 or less, and at the top a tenth earn $45,350 or more.

Pay here is lower than in most states, so cost matters. Ask a school directly what you'd pay and when you could start by picking an accredited program in the table and sending the short Request information form.

A metro area is a city plus the surrounding towns that share the same job market. Several West Virginia metro areas reach into neighboring states.

• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has 13,890 jobs, with a median yearly pay of $46,640.
• Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV has 660 jobs, with a median yearly pay of $42,230.
• Charleston, WV has 900 jobs, with a median yearly pay of $38,190.
• Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH has 1,040 jobs, with a median yearly pay of $37,500.
• Morgantown, WV has 580 jobs, with a median yearly pay of $37,440.

Pay is highest near Washington, DC ($46,640) and Hagerstown-Martinsburg ($42,230). Inside the state, Charleston leads at $38,190. All of these figures trace back to federal wage data.

West Virginia has no law defining medical assistants. Physicians may hand off tasks only to people whose training or experience qualifies them, so your education is what makes you ready for the work.

Certification matters in one situation. The nursing board has permitted advanced practice registered nurses to delegate medication administration to medical assistants working in primary care, but only for assistants with national certification. Handing IV medications over to medical assistants is something nurses are not allowed to do. Further detail sits in the nursing board statement.

If you want to take x-rays, you need a separate state imaging license, unless you have a podiatry-only permit, and a medical assistant program by itself does not cover this.

If you plan to work in primary care, choose an accredited program that prepares you for national certification, so you can take on more tasks, like giving medications.

We list 15 West Virginia schools that report medical assistant graduates to the federal government. Six of them have programs accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES, which are the 2 national bodies that accredit these programs. The school counts come from the federal College Navigator.

At career schools across the country, programs typically take about 9 months, and most run 7 to 9 months. Across career schools, the published cost of a full program has a median of $17,257. For public colleges, one year of in-district tuition and fees has a median of $4,346. These figures come from federal education data. Send the Request information form to ask one school about its price and start dates.

Some programs let you take classes by distance education and study from home. Supervised clinical practice still happens face to face, so you will spend time in an actual clinic before finishing your training.

The table of programs below lists West Virginia schools and marks the accredited ones. Once you find a program that fits, fill out the request information form beneath the table. Choose one accredited program, then enter your name, email, phone number, ZIP code and when you want to start. The form then sends your request to that one program alone, so use it to ask about cost, schedule and clinical placement.

With jobs here expected to grow 21.1% over the next ten years, pick an accredited program in the table and send the short form.