What Do Primary Care Medical Assistants Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for primary care medical assistants?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what primary care medical assistants do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Primary Care Medical Assistants Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about primary care medical assistants by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Primary Care Medical Assistants perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
Popular Job Titles For Primary Care Medical Assistants
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Medical Assistants
- Certified Medical Assistants
- Primary Care Medical Assistants
- Clinic Medical Assistants
- Chiropractic Assistants
- Medical Office Assistants
- Urgent Care Medical Assistants
- Family Medicine Medical Assistants
- Pediatric Medical Assistants
- Bilingual Medical Assistants
- Dermatology Medical Assistants
- Certified Medication Aides/Certified Medical Assistants
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for primary care medical assistants can be found.
Best Industries for Primary Care Medical Assistants
Primary Care Medical Assistants Jobs By Industry
- Offices of Physicians: 55.5%
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 10.9%
- Outpatient Care Centers: 9.2%
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners: 8.1%
- Education and Hospitals (Local Government): 2.5%
- Employment Services: 2.5%
- Other: 11.3%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of primary care medical assistants can be found working in the Offices of Physicians sector. In 2022, about 55.5% of all jobs for primary care medical assistants were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (10.9%), Outpatient Care Centers (9.2%), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (8.1%), Education and Hospitals (Local Government) (2.5%) and Employment Services (2.5%).
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Degree Options for Primary Care Medical Assistants
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Certificates & Microcredentials for Primary Care Medical Assistants
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- Time To Complete: 5-6 months
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What Do Primary Care Medical Assistants Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what primary care medical assistants do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work primary care medical assistants do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that primary care medical assistants tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Primary Care Medical Assistants
Top 5 Common Skills for Primary Care Medical Assistants
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 126,910 | 38% |
| Customer Service | 93,347 | 28% |
| Scheduling | 75,999 | 22% |
| Clerical Works | 66,519 | 20% |
| Computer Literacy | 43,657 | 13% |
For common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for primary care medical assistants, followed by customer service, scheduling, clerical works, computer literacy and multitasking.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 126,910 | 38% |
| Customer Service | 93,347 | 28% |
| Scheduling | 75,999 | 22% |
| Clerical Works | 66,519 | 20% |
| Computer Literacy | 43,657 | 13% |
| Multitasking | 39,737 | 12% |
| Administrative Functions | 38,792 | 11% |
| Detail Oriented | 37,524 | 11% |
| Management | 36,036 | 11% |
| Operations | 33,070 | 10% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 27,205 | 8% |
| Multilingualism | 25,395 | 8% |
| Professionalism | 24,859 | 7% |
| Writing | 24,612 | 7% |
| Filing | 24,534 | 7% |
| English Language | 24,311 | 7% |
| Organizational Skills | 22,409 | 7% |
| Problem Solving | 22,282 | 7% |
| Coordinating | 20,751 | 6% |
| Teamwork | 19,512 | 6% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Primary Care Medical Assistants
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | 435,584 | 59.1% |
| Certified Medical Assistants | 67,770 | 9.2% |
| Primary Care Medical Assistants | 20,731 | 2.8% |
| Clinic Medical Assistants | 18,336 | 2.5% |
| Chiropractic Assistants | 23,549 | 3.2% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2021 and August 2022, the top job sought by employers was medical assistants, with 132,488 unique job postings. Certified medical assistants were second, with 6,148 postings, followed by primary care medical assistants, clinic medical assistants and chiropractic assistants.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to primary care medical assistants.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | 435,584 | 59.1% |
| Certified Medical Assistants | 67,770 | 9.2% |
| Primary Care Medical Assistants | 20,731 | 2.8% |
| Clinic Medical Assistants | 18,336 | 2.5% |
| Chiropractic Assistants | 23,549 | 3.2% |
| Medical Office Assistants | 20,030 | 2.7% |
| Urgent Care Medical Assistants | 17,297 | 2.3% |
| Family Medicine Medical Assistants | 15,432 | 2.1% |
| Pediatric Medical Assistants | 12,414 | 1.7% |
| Bilingual Medical Assistants | 10,671 | 1.4% |
| Dermatology Medical Assistants | 10,606 | 1.4% |
| Certified Medication Aides/Certified Medical Assistants | 11,486 | 1.6% |
| Patient Service Specialists | 15,662 | 2.1% |
| Back Office Medical Assistants | 12,436 | 1.7% |
| Orthopedic Medical Assistants | 8,819 | 1.2% |
| Cardiology Medical Assistants | 7,995 | 1.1% |
| Medical Screeners | 11,087 | 1.5% |
| Client Service Coordinators | 8,140 | 1.1% |
| Lead Medical Assistants | 5,018 | 0.7% |
| Medical Support Assistants | 4,017 | 0.5% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for primary care medical assistants? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for primary care medical assistants.
How much do primary care medical assistants make?
Primary Care Medical Assistants: How do you become one?
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