Certificate or Associates degree in Medical Administrative Assistant?

Question

Yes, I know it is better to have a degree, but is there a huge difference between the two? I looked up the annual salary the city I live in and it was about $45,000, I'm sure that is the salary for someone with an Associates Degree. What is the annual salary for someone with a certificate? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm not sure what career path you are asking about.  Are you discussing a medical assistant, or an administrative assistant along the lines of a medical secretary (sometimes called an administrative assistant)

I have never heard of anyone in my area using a person in a career path called medical administrative assistant.  Though I have only been in health care for a little over 30 years, so I might have missed something.

Statistics show that the top 10% of medical secretaries/admin assistants in the us make just over $40,000 per year.

I cannot imagine many non-clinical positions which start at $45,000 per year with an associate degree or less, when the average salary for RNs with and without bachelors degrees combined is only $56,000 per year in the US.

If you are discussing medical assisting, then the degree has no affect on the salary in my area of the country, but it does provide more education, and thus more jobs may be available.  I also have not noted that education had as much bearing on the salary of medical secretaries/administrative assistants as experience.