Medical assistant scope of practice in Utah
Utah's medical practice act spells out the medical assistant scope of practice, and you don't need a license to do the listed tasks. The law lets you perform certain tasks without a license, and the kind of supervision required depends on the task.
- License for the listed tasks: not required
- Vaccines: you may give them with a physician's general supervision
- Other delegated tasks: a physician may delegate these to you under indirect supervision
- Not allowed: surgery, prescribing, or anesthesia of any kind except a local anesthetic for a minor procedure
Ready to start? Pick one accredited program on our Utah programs page and send the short Request information form, and your request goes straight to that school.
- State credential for medical assistants
- None required
- Supervision
- General supervision for vaccines; indirect supervision for other delegated tasks
What Utah rules say a medical assistant may do
| Task | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State credential | Utah's medical practice act lets medical assistants perform the listed acts without being licensed. | Utah Code 58-67-305 (intro) |
| Injections | A medical assistant may administer a vaccine under a physician's general supervision. | Utah Code 58-67-305(6)(a) |
| Delegation | Under a physician's indirect supervision, a medical assistant may do tasks the physician appropriately delegates in line with the standards and ethics of medicine. | Utah Code 58-67-305(6)(b) |
| Not allowed | Delegated tasks may not include performing surgical procedures or prescribing prescription medications. | Utah Code 58-67-305(6)(b)(i)-(ii) |
| Medications | Delegated tasks may not include administering anesthesia, other than a local anesthetic for minor procedural use. | Utah Code 58-67-305(6)(b)(iii) |
Doing your work in Utah without a license
State law lists the acts a medical assistant can carry out without being licensed. A physician may also appropriately delegate tasks under indirect supervision, within the standards and ethics of medicine. No state license is required.
Vaccinations in Utah
Yes, you may administer a vaccine while a physician provides general supervision.
Tasks a physician delegates to you
Beyond vaccines, a physician can hand you other tasks while providing indirect supervision, as long as each one is appropriately delegated and fits the standards and ethics of medicine.
Your physician decides which tasks suit the role, using those same standards as a guide. When you are not sure a task qualifies, check with the physician before starting.
Duties Utah law never allows
Utah law keeps three things off a medical assistant's task list, whatever the physician might want to delegate. Utah's code rules out:
- Carrying out surgical procedures
- Writing prescriptions for medications
- Giving anesthesia, except a local anesthetic for a minor procedure
Learning for this work
If you're considering training, our Utah programs page lets you compare programs before requesting information from one accredited school. Our site lists 1,094 programs nationwide, and 484 are accredited by CAAHEP or ABHES. Accreditation means an outside organization has checked the program against agreed-upon standards.
Length and price differ widely, so comparing a few options side by side makes sense.
| Program type | Median cost and length |
|---|---|
| Career school, whole program | $17,257; 9 months |
| Public college, 1 year of full-time study | $4,346 in-district tuition and fees |
| Associate degree | Offered at 354 schools |
30 programs offer distance education, and 14 of those hold accreditation. Classes happen at a distance in these online programs, though the supervised clinical practice takes place in person.
What medical assistants earn
In May 2025, medical assistants earned a median of $45,690 per year, or $21.97 an hour. That is a little more than nursing assistants and phlebotomists earn, while licensed practical nurses and registered nurses earn more.
| Role | Median yearly pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Nursing assistants | $42,260 |
| Phlebotomists | $45,230 |
| Medical assistants | $45,690 |
| Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) | $64,400 |
| Registered nurses | $97,550 |
Does this sound like your kind of work? Open our Utah programs page, choose an accredited program, and send the short Request information form to that school.
This plain summary is not legal advice; the statute or board rule linked in the table is the authority. Rules change, so check the source before you rely on a task.
Certification rules in Utah · Medical assistant programs in Utah · Jobs in Utah · Scope of practice in every state
Nearby: Scope of practice in Arizona · Scope of practice in Colorado · Scope of practice in California