Becoming a medical assistant can be a quick and effective pathway into a rewarding career in healthcare, but New Yorkers looking to join the field face some unique challenges.
From the high costs of living throughout the state to the numerous training programs available to choose from, aspiring medical assistants in New York have to navigate a variety of complex factors to achieve their goals.
That’s why we created this guide to everything you need to know to launch your career as a medical assistant in New York, whether you live in one of the five boroughs of NYC or anywhere else in the state.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in New York
Step 1: Complete high school or earn a GED
If you want to become a medical assistant, you’ll first need to either graduate high school or earn your GED. You don’t need to attend college to work as a medical assistant.
Keep in mind you don’t need to earn your high school diploma or GED in New York, specifically, in order to start a career as a medical assistant in the state, although you may need to redo any degrees you earned in a different country.
Step 2: Choose a medical assistant training program
Once you meet the basic education requirements, your next goal will be obtaining a certification or degree in medical assisting. There are many in-person medical assistant training programs in New York, but you can save time and money by completing your training online.
In-person degree programs can cost over $10,000 and take two years to complete.
For example, Monroe College’s on-campus degree program in medical assisting costs around $42,432. Even hybrid programs like the one offered by City College of New York can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
By comparison, 100% online programs like Stepful’s New York Medical Assistant Program can be completed in as little as four months at a fraction of the cost.
No matter what type of training you choose, you’ll want to leave your program ready to pass one of the certification exams required to become a medical assistant, which we’ll cover in more detail in the next section.
Step 3: Finish training and earn your certification
After you complete your training program of choice, the last step you need to take before beginning your new career is earning your medical assistant certification. While you don’t need a license to work as a medical assistant in New York, employers will expect you to be certified.
Luckily, all you need to do to get certified is pass one of the exams offered nationwide by a few trusted organizations. These include the NHA's Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam, AMT’s Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) test, and AAMA’s Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam.
Which exam you choose to take comes down to personal preference. All of the exams test for the same knowledge and skills, include about the same number of questions, and even have similar fees. You can see a detailed breakdown of CCMA vs RMA vs CMA here.
Your best bet will be to take whichever exam your training program is designed to prepare you to pass.
For example, Stepful’s New York Medical Assistant Training Program specifically preps graduates to earn the CCMA certification from the NHA. Our students have a certification exam pass rate of 87%, five percentage points higher than the national average.
Step 4: Search for jobs
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 39,250 medical assistants working across New York State as of 2024, accounting for about four out of every 1,000 jobs. That makes New York one of the top states in terms of medical assistant employment, with New York City employing the most medical assistants of any urban area nationwide.
Most medical assistants work in physicians’ offices and hospitals. Other potential employers for New York medical assistants include outpatient care centers, colleges and universities, and other healthcare settings.
One of the easiest ways to find a medical assistant job in New York is through an internet search engine like Google.
Most employers will post their jobs on employment websites like Indeed or Monster. These websites allow you to quickly search through hundreds of jobs to find one that interests you. Here are some direct links that you can use to look for a medical assistant job in NY or NYC:
- Indeed: This is one of the most popular job boards and as of the time of this writing has 2,727 medical assistant jobs available in New York.
- Monster.com: Monster is a great place to look for jobs, and has tools like a resume builder that can help you stand out against other applicants.
- ZipRecruiter: This is another popular job search board with hundreds of medical assisting jobs posted for New York.
Healthcare facilities often post job openings on their websites. If you have a particular office or hospital in mind, you can look on their site or give them a call. Arriving in person to hand in an application and discuss job opportunities will make a strong impression if you can make it to the office.
Looking for a medical assistant externship is an excellent way to show off your strengths while getting to know a specific office workflow. An externship provides an opportunity for you and a potential employer to get to know each other before committing to a working relationship.
Step 5: Start your career
You did it! It's time to start working. You'll likely receive on-the-job training during your first week or two to help you get acclimated to the workplace policies, computer systems, and everything else you need to be successful.
Outside of working, remember to renew your certification, which will have varying requirements depending on which you obtain. For example, the CCMA certification requires you to take 10 continuing education requirements, pay a $179 fee, and submit a renewal request.
Certification & License Requirements for Medical Assistants in New York
There are no license or certification requirements to work as a medical assistant in New York. After earning your GED or high school diploma, you can legally start to work as a medical assistant in any clinic, hospital, or physician's office.
Although not strictly required, most workplaces prefer certified medical assistants. Becoming certified shows that you have the knowledge and skills to care for patients safely and efficiently.
Having your medical assistant certification helps the doctors you work with feel confident in your knowledge and prepares you for a successful entry into the workforce.
Medical Assistants in New York Salary & Job Outlook
On average, medical assistants in New York earn around $45,115 per year, or $21.69 per hour. Of course, your actual salary will vary depending on where you live, since medical assistants in urban areas often receive higher salaries.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of medical assistant salaries across New York:
- Buffalo: $42,370 per year ($20.37 per hour)
- New York City: $46,987 per year ($22.59 per hour)
- Rochester: $39,707 per year ($19.09 per hour)
- Syracuse: $42,390 per year ($20.38 per hour)
- Yonkers: $45,781 per year ($22.01 per hour)
What Medical Assistants in New York Do
Just like elsewhere in the country, medical assistants in New York are an essential part of the healthcare system. These professionals work at hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices across the state, supporting providers by handling administrative and clinical tasks.
Depending on the workplace, medical assistants in New York have varying responsibilities, including greeting patients, updating health records, checking vitals, and collecting samples for testing.
According to the New York State Section 6530 (11) of Education Law, medical assistants are not allowed to:
- Triage
- Draw up or administer vaccinations or immunizations
- Draw up any medication in syringes
- Administer medications
- Administer contrast dyes or injections of any kind
- Place sutures and other forms of wound closure
- Take x-rays
- Apply or remove casts
- Insert or remove IVs or catheters
- Teach self-injection of medications or self-catheterization
- Performing EMGs or other nerve conduction studies
On the other hand, medical assistants in NY are allowed to:
- Take measurements
- Measure and report vital signs
- Assist with bedside procedures
- Draw blood
- Perform and EKG
- Collect urine samples
- Obtain health history information
- Check blood sugar levels
In other words, medical assistants are there to help providers, not replace them. That makes medical assisting a great career for those who want to help people without having to spend years attending medical or nursing school.
Common Career Paths for Medical Assistants in New York
Even after you’ve established a full-time career in New York as a medical assistant, you’ll still have multiple career paths available to you if you want to earn more money, work with specific populations, or move into healthcare administration.
The quickest way to advance your career as a medical assistant is to choose a subspecialty such as OB-GYN, pediatrics, or cardiology. Medical assistants can specialize in just about any healthcare area, and you can even earn additional certifications in some specialties.
If you’re willing to undergo additional education and training, you have even more options. With anywhere from 2-8 years in school, you could become a registered nurse, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. If you’d rather not become a full-fledged healthcare provider, you could consider earning a degree in healthcare administration or public health. These are just a few of the fulfilling careers you can reach by first becoming a medical assistant.
