Medical assistants across the country

Transcription

1 Medical assistants across the country enthusiastically participated in the 2014 Compensation and Benefits Survey, conducted by the American Association of Medical Assistants. More than 6,100 medical assistants completed the survey, an increase of 1,700 from last year. The AAMA ed an electronic questionnaire to a random sampling of more than 53,000 medical assistants and medical assisting educators. Most of the participants had earned the CMA (AAMA) credential (89 percent) and were members of the AAMA (94 percent). The large number of participants ensures that the results have a high degree of statistical significance. Statistical significance and terms used The overall margin of error for the 6,190 responses is ±1.3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. Margin of error describes the statistical significance of the sample as an estimate of the population. The margin of error should be treated only as an approximation, since margin of error calculations are based on pure random selection, which is not achievable in traditional survey settings where response is voluntary. The ±1.3 percent margin of error applies to overall statistics based on the total respondents to the survey smaller breakout groups presented throughout the report have higher margins of error. Judgments based on statistics with very low sample sizes should be made with caution. Statistics are rounded to the nearest whole number Medical Assisting Compensation and Benefits Report Compensation Both hourly pay rates and annual gross salaries were collected on the survey. Approximately 97 percent of full-time medical assistants are paid hourly, while roughly 3 percent are paid by annual salary. By CMA (AAMA) certification Average hourly wages and salary vary according to years of experience for all medical assistants surveyed. Full-time medical assistants holding a current CMA (AAMA) certification earn an average of $15.49 per hour or an average annual salary of $29,600. These earnings are above the averages of $14.33 or $27,261 collected for full-time medical assistants who have never held CMA (AAMA) certification and may or may not hold another type of medical assisting certification. Comparisons for full-time CMAs (AAMA) and non-cmas (AAMA) are broken down by years of experience in Table 1. Employers are not only paying higher wages for the CMA (AAMA), they are also increasingly demanding that their medical assistants have a CMA (AAMA) credential. Every day the AAMA responds to more than 100 employer requests for CMA (AAMA) certification verification for both current and potential employees. Such demand is often due to the pressures of potential malpractice suits and the certification mandates placed on employers by managed care organizations. 1 Additionally, on August 23, 2012, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ruled that only credentialed medical assistants including CMAs (AAMA) as well as licensed health care professionals, would be allowed to enter medication, laboratory, and radiology orders into the computerized provider order entry system for meaningful use purposes for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs. 2 The CMA (AAMA) must have current status to use the credential, including for qualifying to enter orders for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. By geographic region The average annual earnings and hourly wages were computed for geographic regions of the United States (Figure 1). The Pacific region showed the highest earnings Table 1. CMA (AAMA) certification Average full-time medical assistant pay by years of experience Overall 0 2 years 3 5 years 6 9 years years 16 years + Full-time CMAs (AAMA) $ ,600 $ ,936 $ ,165 $ ,101 $ ,329 $ ,573 Full-time non-cmas (AAMA) , , , , , ,618 AAMA 2014 Medical Assisting Compensation and Benefits Report 1 of 5

2 for full-time current CMAs (AAMA), with averages of $33,403 annually and $17.88 hourly. Across the country, New England turned in the second highest annual earnings ($30,691), and hourly wages ($16.17). The full comparison is shown in Table 2. By work setting The overwhelming majority of medical assistants surveyed work in physicians offices. Almost 94 percent of respondents are employed in that setting, with roughly 2 percent in ambulatory surgery and nearly 4 percent in other. The breakdown of wages and earnings by work setting is shown in Table 3. Figures for inpatient hospital care, nursing homes, and home and hospice care are not listed due to insufficient response numbers. Figure 1. Pacific (Includes Alaska and Hawaii) Regions based on the United States Census divisions Mountain West North West South East South South New England Table 2. Geographic region Region Overall 0 2 years 3 5 years 6 9 years years 16 years + Northeast New England $ ,691 $ ,434 $ ,513 $ ,492 $ ,667 $ ,471 Middle Atlantic , , , , , ,284 Midwest East North , , , , , ,338 West North , , , , , ,130 South South Atlantic , , , , , ,299 East South , , , , , ,850 West South , , ,250 33,457 West Mountain , , , , , ,826 Pacific , , , , , ,514 Insufficient response AAMA 2014 Medical Assisting Compensation and Benefits Report 2 of 5

3 By practice specialty Sixty-three percent of medical assistants work in a primary care office or practice. Another 31 percent work in practices with medical or surgical specialties. The income figures for practice specialty are shown in Table 4. By number of specialties Combining both full- and part-time medical assistant respondents, 54 percent work in a single specialty practice, while 44 percent work in a multispecialty setting. The income figures for full-time current CMAs (AAMA) by number of specialties are listed in Table 5. Table 3. Work setting Work setting Overall 0 2 years 3 5 years 6 9 years years 16 years + Ambulatory surgery $ ,580 $ ,283 $ ,300 Inpatient hospital care ,625 Physician s office or clinic , , , ,102 $ ,133 $ , , , , , ,028 Insufficient response Table 4. Practice specialty Practice specialty Overall 0 2 years 3 5 years 6 9 years years 16 years + Primary care $ ,941, $ ,568 $ ,493 $ ,641 $ ,686 $ ,905 All other medical and surgical specialties , , , , , , , , , , , ,881 Insufficient response Table 5. Number of specialties Number of specialties Overall 0 2 years 3 5 years 6 9 years years 16 years + Single specialty $ ,603 $ ,667 $ ,794 $ ,178 $ ,287 $ ,985 Multiple specialties , , , , , , , , , ,125 Insufficient response AAMA 2014 Medical Assisting Compensation and Benefits Report 3 of 5

4 Employment benefits Roughly 94 percent of all full-time medical assistants receive some form of benefits package from their employer (Figure 2). Insurance Almost 74 percent of full-time medical assistants receive major medical coverage. Another 74 percent receive dental coverage, 63 percent receive vision coverage, 55 percent receive disability coverage, and almost 23 percent receive professional liability coverage. The full range of benefits for full-time medical assistants is shown in Figure 3. AAMA membership and conference When asked if employers offer to help pay for various AAMA expenses, almost 17 percent of full-time medical assistants who are AAMA members responded that their employers pay their membership dues in full (Figure 4). In addition, almost 9 percent have their annual conference registration fees paid for in full, and another 5 percent have travel and lodging paid by their employers. References 1. Balasa DA. Why more employers are hiring CMAs (AAMA). American Association of Medical Assistants. library/whymoreempshirecma.pdf. Published January Updated February Accessed October 7, Balasa DA. AAMA triumphs in CMS medication order rule. CMA Today. 2012;45(6):6-8. Figure 2. Figure 3. Benefits received by full-time medical assistants Paid vacation 8 Dental 7 Major medical 7 Vision 6 Sick leave 6 Disability 5 Accidental death 4 Discount prescription 42% Basic hospitalization 41% Professional liability 2 7% None 6% 6% Receive benefits 9 Do not receive benefits Number of responses = 4,373 Insurance benefits received by full-time medical assistants Number of responses 18% = 4,373 Results examination rounded to the fees nearest whole number The American Association of Medical Assistants thanks all the participants who made the 2014 survey possible. Figure 4. Dues assistance received by full-time AAMA membership medical assistants dues 2% 18% 17% 1 1 Extended online version! See next page for educator earnings! registration fees 17% 2% 1 1 9% registration fees and lodging expenses 9% and lodging expenses Number of responses = 4,084 AAMA 2014 Medical Assisting Compensation and Benefits Report 4 of 5

5 The majority (82 percent) of medical assisting educators receive their compensation in the form of an annual salary, while around 18 percent are paid hourly. Compensation On average, full-time medical assisting educators reported earning an annual gross salary of $51,871, with over 21 percent reporting that they earn at least $65,000 annually, and over 11 percent reporting over $75,000 in annual earnings. The breakdown of educators salaries by years of experience is shown in Table Medical Assisting Educator Compensation and Benefits Report Employment benefits Insurance More than 86 percent of full-time educators receive major medical coverage and 84 percent receive dental insurance. Discount prescription coverage, accidental death, vision, and basic hospitalization all were well over 50 percent rates. Rates of coverage for full-time educators are listed in Figure 5. AAMA membership and conference When asked if employers offer to help pay for various AAMA expenses, 49 percent of full-time educators reported full payment of membership dues and 47 percent reported full payment of conference registration fees. Forty-one percent reported full payment of travel and lodging for conference (Figure 6). Table 6. Average full-time educator pay by years of experience Overall $51, years 43, years 47, years 47, years 56, years 60,720 Number of responses = 237 Figure 5. Insurance benefits received by full-time educators Figure 6. Dues assistance received by full-time educators Sick leave 89% Major medical 86% Dental 8 47% Paid vacation 70% AAMA registration Conference fees 47% 1 Disability 69% registration fees 1 Vision 69% 41% and lodging travel expenses 41% 1 Accidental death 59% and lodging expenses 1 Basic hospitalization 59% 38% Discount prescription 62% 38% Full payment Professional liability 22% 37% 8% 37% 21% None 1% 21% Number of responses = 232 Number of responses = 232 AAMA 2014 Medical Assisting Compensation and Benefits Report 5 of 5