Emergency Medical Assistant: Responsibilities, Salary, & More

A medical assistant is a trained healthcare professional who supports doctors, nurses, and other clinicians by doing both clinical and administrative tasks. Most medical assistants work in outpatient settings like doctors’ offices or clinics, but some work in hospitals.

Emergency medical assistants work in a hospital’s emergency room, or the emergency department. They help care teams manage patients in high-volume and high-pressure situations.

Working in the ER is fast, unpredictable, and intense. For medical assistants who like variety, teamwork, and hands-on patient care, it can be one of the best places to work.

This guide goes over a career as an emergency medical assistants: what their job is like, the skills they need, the salary and job outlook, and how to get started.

What Is an Emergency Medical Assistant?

Emergency medical assistants are a great example of how medical assistants can specialize based on setting, whether it be in specific hospital departments or specialty practices like pediatrics or OB/GYN. 

Hospital emergency departments provide care around the clock for patients of all ages, from babies to seniors. Emergency medicine focuses on patients who need care right away. ERs handle everything from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies, often without advance notice.

With so much going on, it’s easy to see why emergency departments would need medical assistants who are trained specifically for their area. Emergency medical assistants work within the emergency department to support the clinical staff and help manage the constant flow of patients.

They are not the same as EMTs. EMTs provide care outside the hospital and during transport, like ambulance rides.

What Does an Emergency Medical Assistant Do?

Emergency medical assistants support patient care in a fast-moving environment where needs can change quickly. Their responsibilities often shift throughout the day based on patient needs.

These are some of the clinical and administrative duties they might do on any given day.

Clinical Duties

• Taking vital signs. Emergency medical assistants may measure blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, and oxygen levels during intake and throughout a patient’s stay.
• Preparing patients for exams and procedures. This may include helping patients change, positioning them for exams, and explaining what’s next.
• Assisting providers during care. MAs may help set up rooms, provide supplies, and support providers during exams or procedures.
• Performing basic clinical tasks. Depending on training and hospital policy, this can include doing EKGs, collecting specimens, or providing wound care.
• Supporting patient flow. Emergency medical assistants may help move patients through triage, treatment, and discharge.

Administrative Duties

• Updating electronic health records. Accurate documentation is critical in emergency care, and medical assistants help keep records current.
• Communicating with care teams. Emergency room medical assistants relay information between nurses, physicians, and other departments.
• Managing supplies and equipment. This includes restocking rooms and ensuring equipment is ready for use.
• Supporting intake and discharge. Medical assistants may help with forms, instructions, and patient questions.
• Maintaining clean exam areas. Cleaning and resetting rooms allows the next patient to be seen quickly.

Where Do Emergency Medical Assistants Work?

Emergency medical assistants work in the emergency department of a hospital. They are part of the care team that treats a patient once they arrive in the ER. Within the ER, they may rotate between triage areas, treatment rooms, fast-track units, and observation areas.

Unlike medical assistants in doctors’ offices, emergency room medical assistants are on their feet most of the day. Their work involves moving quickly, direct patient interaction, and hands-on support rather than desk-based tasks.

Emergency departments are less predictable than other healthcare settings. This can make the job more stressful, but it also offers more variety and exposure to different kinds of medical cases during each shift.

Skills Required to Be an Emergency Medical Assistant

Emergency medical assistants need strong foundational medical assistant skills, along with abilities that support fast-paced emergency care. Some of the most important skills to have include:

• Clear communication skills to interact with patients and healthcare teams
• Strong organization to manage multiple tasks at once
• Ability to stay calm under pressure
• Ability to comfort patients who are in pain, scared, or upset
• Attention to detail for documentation and safety
• Teamwork and collaboration skills
• Physical stamina for standing, walking, and assisting patients

Emergency Medical Assistant Salaries & Job Outlook

Stepful’s report on certified medical assistants’ salaries in the U.S. shows that as of January 2026, the average salary for a medical assistant in the United States was $21.20 per hour or $44,087 per year. Salaries vary by experience, employer, and location.

Salaries for emergency medical assistants are similar to those for other types of medical assistants, though hospital roles may offer higher wages. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that the wages of medical assistants in hospitals are higher than those who work in the offices of physicians and other health practitioners.

Additionally, the job outlook for medical assistants is strong. The BLS projects faster-than-average job growth for medical assistants (12% vs. 3%) over the next decade, driven by an aging population that will need healthcare services.

The BLS shows that hospitals are the second-largest employer of medical assistants in the country. It’s a safe bet that the emergency departments within those hospitals will continue to need skilled medical assistants.

Besides their steady hiring of medical assistants, hospitals also support long-term career growth. Medical assistants who work in hospitals are exposed to a wide variety of clinical settings, workflows, and medical disciplines.

How to Become an Emergency Medical Assistant

Becoming an emergency medical assistant starts with training to be a certified medical assistant and gaining hands-on experience. Here are the steps that can help you get into this rewarding career:

1. Obtain your high school diploma or GED. This is required to enroll in medical assistant training programs.
2. Complete a medical assistant training program. Completing a medical assistant program builds the clinical and administrative skills needed for hospital work. Many aspiring emergency room medical assistants complete their training through programs that offer online coursework paired with hands-on clinical experience. This can make it easier to prepare for hospital work while balancing other responsibilities.
3. Get hands-on clinical experience. Programs like Stepful’s, which include support finding an externship, especially in hospital or urgent care settings, can help prepare you for emergency department roles.
4. Pass a national certification exam. Certifications such as Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) can make candidates more competitive during job-seeking. Earning nationally recognized certifications can be especially helpful for landing hospital-based roles, where employers often look for credentials that demonstrate clinical readiness.
5. Apply for emergency department roles. With your training and certification in hand, you will be ready to apply for positions in hospital emergency departments. You can highlight your hospital experience, externship, and any emergency-related training when applying. Programs like Stepful’s provide job coaching, resume reviews, mock interviews, and career mentorship to help you land the job of your dreams.