The Medical Assistant's Ultimate Guide to Higher Earnings
- Aug 24
- 9 min read
As a Medical Assistant, you are the backbone of the clinical world. You manage the flow of the office, provide essential patient care, and ensure that providers can do their jobs effectively. Your unique blend of clinical and administrative skills makes you one of the most versatile professionals in healthcare. But does your paycheck reflect that value?
For many, the standard 9-to-5 salary doesn't capture the full potential of their expertise. The good news is that your MA certification is not an endpoint; it's a launchpad. A new landscape of opportunity allows you to leverage your skills in ways that can dramatically increase your income, offer greater flexibility, and put you in control of your financial future.
This guide is your playbook. We will explore seven distinct pathways—from immediate side hustles to long-term entrepreneurial ventures—that are perfectly suited for ambitious Medical Assistants looking to build wealth and design a career on their own terms.
1. Side Hustles & Supplemental Income: Quick Ways to Earn More
Your existing skills are in high demand. By monetizing them outside of your primary job, you can create immediate new revenue streams, potentially adding anywhere from $500 to over $5,000 to your monthly income.
Leverage Your Certifications: If you have a phlebotomy or EKG certification, you're sitting on a goldmine. Offer your services on a freelance basis to local labs or for home visits. You can also work as an EKG technician at cardiology clinics, a high-demand role that may only require a short certification course.
Become a Freelance Medical Writer: You don't need a PhD to be a medical writer. Your practical knowledge is incredibly valuable. Start by writing for health blogs or creating patient education materials. Your understanding of medical terminology and patient care makes you an ideal candidate to translate complex topics into easy-to-understand content.
Teach What You Know: Become a certified First Aid and CPR instructor and hold classes on evenings or weekends. Your MA credentials give you instant credibility.
Embrace the Digital Age: Your administrative prowess is perfect for remote work. Offer your services as a Virtual Medical Assistant, handling scheduling and patient communications for other practices. You can also work as a freelance medical transcriptionist or medical coding specialist with a bit of extra certification.
Share Your Opinion for Cash: Your professional insights are valuable to market research companies. Participate in paid medical surveys through platforms like MDLinx to earn extra money during your downtime.
2. Entrepreneurship & Ownership: Be Your Own Boss
If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, your MA experience provides a solid foundation for launching your own business. This is the path to ultimate control over your schedule and income.
Start a Mobile Phlebotomy Service: This is one of the most accessible business ventures for a certified MA. With a reliable vehicle and the right equipment (needles, centrifuge, transport containers), you can serve patients in their homes, assisted living facilities, or corporate wellness events. The startup process involves getting licensed as a phlebotomist, setting up a business entity like an LLC for legal protection, obtaining liability insurance, and marketing your services to local clinics and labs.
Real-World Examples:
LaShanna Person, LKA Medical Services & Mobile Phlebotomy: While still working as an MA at Augusta University, LaShanna Person launched her mobile phlebotomy business as a side hustle. She travels to clients' homes and offices, collects samples, and delivers them to local labs. She started by marketing her services to local doctors' offices and uses social media to grow her client base, demonstrating how an MA can turn a core clinical skill into a thriving entrepreneurial venture. You can read her full story in the Augusta Business Daily here.
Heather Basagoitia, Mobile Phlebotomy Services of Florida: After 11 years as a certified MA and phlebotomist, Heather Basagoitia noticed a high demand for home blood draws. She started her own mobile business in 2012 and found a powerful niche providing services to pediatric patients with autism. Today, she services hundreds of clients on her own, proving that an MA's clinical experience can be the perfect foundation for a successful and fulfilling business. You can read more about her journey on her company's blog here.
Open an Online Medical Supply Store: You know what medical professionals and students need. Turn that knowledge into an e-commerce business. You can use platforms like Shopify or Etsy to sell niche products like medical-themed planners, curated scrub collections, or study flashcards for certification exams. Starting online minimizes overhead and allows you to reach a national audience.
Become a Practice Manager: The most common career advancement for MAs is becoming an office manager. This role puts you at the helm of a practice's operations, from finance and HR to marketing. Mastering these skills not only leads to a higher salary but also provides the business acumen necessary to one day open your own clinic, a clinical research site, or another healthcare-related business.
3. High-Yield Employment Models: Work Smarter, Not Just Harder
Breaking free from a single, salaried role can unlock significantly higher pay. By positioning yourself as a flexible agent in a high-demand market, you can command premium rates.
The Per Diem Advantage: Per diem, or "as needed," work is a powerful way to boost your hourly income. Facilities pay a premium for MAs who can fill last-minute staffing gaps. The national average for a per diem MA is around $19.89 per hour, with top earners making $25.00 or more—often 20% higher than salaried roles—to compensate for the lack of benefits.
Become a Travel Medical Assistant: The demand for MAs is so high that travel assignments are now common. These contracts typically last a few weeks to a few months and offer pay rates about 20% higher than permanent positions. In addition to a higher hourly wage, you receive a tax-free weekly stipend to cover housing and meals, significantly increasing your take-home pay.
Real-World Examples:
A Reddit User's Two-Year Journey: On the social media platform Reddit, a user shared her direct experience as a travel MA. She confirmed that the career is very real, stating, "Yes I did travel with AMN healthcare for two years. Aya is good too." Her firsthand account shows that established agencies are actively placing MAs in travel roles, though she cautions that you are often sent to places that are extremely short-staffed. You can see the full discussion on Reddit here.
Proof in the Postings: The demand is validated by numerous job postings. For example, a recent listing on AlliedTravelCareers.com for a "Travel Medical Assistant" in New York City offered a weekly pay of $820. These postings are tangible proof that facilities across the country are actively hiring MAs for temporary travel roles. You can see examples of these jobs here.
Master the Shift Differential: If you prefer a stable position, you can still maximize your income by strategically working less desirable hours. Many facilities offer shift differentials—extra pay for working evenings, nights, or weekends. This could be a flat dollar amount or a percentage of your base pay, and it can be combined with overtime for a substantial earnings boost.
4. Strategic Long-Term Advancement: Building Your Future Income
Your MA role is an excellent stepping stone to higher-paying careers in healthcare. A few years of strategic investment in education can lead to a lifetime of higher earnings.
Level Up with Advanced Certifications: Beyond your initial MA certification, specialized credentials can immediately increase your value. Earning a Certified EKG Technician (CET) or Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) certification opens up specialized roles and higher pay. For those with a passion for the administrative side, the Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM) credential is a direct path to leadership positions.
The MA to RN Bridge: One of the most popular and lucrative advancement paths is becoming a Registered Nurse. Many schools offer "bridge" programs that allow you to apply your MA coursework and experience to an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in nursing, often in an accelerated format. This transition can more than double your salary, with RNs earning a median of $86,070 per year compared to the MA median of around $42,000.
The MA to PA Track: For those aiming for the highest levels of clinical practice, becoming a Physician Assistant is an excellent goal. While there are no direct "bridge" programs, your hands-on patient care experience as an MA is highly valued by PA school admissions committees. The path requires completing a bachelor's degree and then a master's program, but the payoff is immense, with PAs earning a median salary of over $130,000 per year.
5. Remote Healthcare Opportunities: Work from Anywhere
The rise of telehealth has created a wealth of remote opportunities perfectly suited for the skills of a Medical Assistant. These roles offer flexibility, eliminate commute times, and provide competitive pay.
Virtual Medical Assistant (VMA): As a VMA, you perform many of your administrative and some clinical support duties from home. A typical day might involve managing patient schedules, handling prescription refills, updating EHRs, and coordinating with labs—all through digital platforms. The average pay is around $18-$19 per hour, but can be higher depending on the employer and your experience.
Real-World Examples:
A Reddit User's Remote Reality: In a Reddit thread, one user detailed her successful transition to a virtual role. When asked what she does, she explained her day-to-day responsibilities: "I receive and transcribe incoming referrals and orders, I do all of the prior authorizations for imaging orders for my office, I also call to schedule appointments..." She found her position by proactively checking the job boards of major hospitals, showing a clear path for MAs looking to work from home. You can read her full account on Reddit here.
An Employer's Perspective: The value of VMAs is also clear from the practices that hire them. Cyndee Gunnison of Desert Kidney Associates shared a testimonial for a VMA staffing company, stating, "the practice is saving tons of money on payroll and it is a big sigh of relief when our virtual staff actually shows up to work!" This shows that MAs working remotely are seen as indispensable, cost-effective assets. You can see the full testimonial here.
Remote Medical Scribe: Providers are increasingly using remote scribes to handle documentation during virtual or in-person appointments. Your knowledge of medical terminology makes you a natural fit for this role, where you listen to patient encounters and update the EHR in real-time. This allows the provider to focus on the patient and improves clinic efficiency.
6. Unique Financial Benefits: Perks of a high-earning medical assistant
Working in healthcare provides access to financial perks that aren't available in most other industries. Leveraging these benefits can be just as impactful as earning a higher salary.
Student Loan Forgiveness: If you work for a non-profit hospital or a government clinic (like the VA), you may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. After making 120 qualifying payments (10 years), the remaining balance on your federal student loans is forgiven, tax-free. Some programs, like the STAR Loan Repayment Program, specifically list MAs as eligible support staff.
Tuition Reimbursement: Many healthcare systems will help pay for your education. Programs often offer thousands of dollars per year in tuition reimbursement, which you can use to fund your MA-to-RN or MA-to-PA degree. This means your employer is essentially investing in your future, higher-paying career.
Tax Deductions for Independent Contractors: If you engage in side hustles or travel work as a 1099 contractor, you can deduct business-related expenses. This includes the cost of your scrubs, renewal fees for your certifications, and any unreimbursed medical supplies you purchase for your work.
7. Leveraging Inside Knowledge for Financial Gain: Beyond Direct Work
Your daily work gives you a unique perspective on the healthcare industry—an "insider" view that can be turned into passive income streams.
Create and Sell Digital Products: You have specialized knowledge that others are willing to pay for. Create an e-book titled "A Medical Assistant's Guide to Thriving in Your Externship" or design and sell medical terminology flashcards on Etsy. This is a form of monetizing your intellectual property, creating a product once that can generate income for years.
Invest in What You Know: Every day, you see which new medical devices are making a difference, which pharmaceutical companies' drugs are being prescribed, and which hospital systems are running efficiently. This frontline knowledge gives you a unique advantage in stock investing. You can invest in individual healthcare companies or in broader healthcare ETFs that bundle many of these stocks together.
🔖 Key Takeaways:
The healthcare world is evolving, offering incredible opportunities beyond just a regular salary. The most financially successful healthcare professionals of the future will likely adopt a "portfolio approach" to their careers.
Don't rely on just one income source.
Blend multiple streams: Maybe a stable part-time job, flexible telehealth shifts, high-value consulting projects, and passive income from an online course you created.
This approach not only maximizes your income but also builds career resilience (less worry if one income stream slows down) and professional autonomy (more control over your work life).
Your career as a Medical Assistant is filled with potential. By thinking like an entrepreneur and strategically using the skills you already have, you can move beyond a traditional salary and build a more profitable, flexible, and fulfilling professional life.
Embracing an entrepreneurial mindset is key to transforming your healthcare job into a dynamic and financially rewarding professional enterprise!
This was the Medical Assistant's Ultimate Guide to Higher Earnings. Want to know how healthcare professionals can earn more money outside the hospital? Click here.
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