Medical Assistant Salary in Louisiana

A medical assistant is assigned to perform various administrative and clinical duties. It is his or her job to greet visitors and patients and provide them with basic information about examination and tests. It is also his or her duty to prepare the materials needed in performing such tests. One of the main concerns of individuals who are aspiring to be a medical assistant is the salary. The average pay of this profession is determined by a number of factors. The list includes geographic location, workplace, level of education and previous work experience. Based on the wage chart provided by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual medical assistant salary in Louisiana is $32,700. This amount is relatively higher than the national average which is $29,450. This means that individuals who have this job title in LA are paid at least $17.03 per hour.

As mentioned earlier, the educational attainment of a candidate can greatly affect his or her average annual salary. Individuals who have pursued a specialization in any of the sub-field of medical assisting have a different pay rate than those who did not. A physical therapy assistant working in LA has an average yearly pay check of $47,000 while a medical administrative assistant earns $21,000. A nurse practitioner physician assistant can receive as high as $76,000 in a year while a medical support assistant gets $29,000. A physician assistant has an average annual wage of $68,000 while an assistant director receives $26,000 each year. Work experience is also a major determinant of a medical assistant’s salary. Judging from the wage chart provided by the BLS, one can conclude that the longer that an individual stays in the industry the higher his or her pay gets. A senior medical assistant who has dedicated 20 years or more in this profession can receive an average of $35,596 in a year. The entry-level salary for this job is at $27,000. Those who have rendered 1 to 4 years of service can get $28,374 while the ones who have stayed for 5 to 9 years receive $30,779. Individuals who have worked as a medical assistant for about 10 to 19 years are paid $31,015 in a year.

The location of a person can influence the salary that he or she gets as a medical assistant. Here are some of the major cities in the state of Louisiana and their corresponding rates. Alexandria has an average annual wage of $37,000 for its medical assistants while Baton Rouge pays around $43,000 in a year. Those who are residing in Lafayette receive a yearly pay check of $36,000 while the ones in Lake Charles get $41,000. Individuals hired in Monroe have a median annual wage of $37,000 while those who are employed in New Orleans earn $41,000. The city of Shreveport, on the other hand, is currently paying $35,000 for this profession every year. And aside from the basic pay that these workers are receiving, they are also given the privilege to take advantage of some benefits. But this depends on their employer and type of industry that they work for.

Interested parties who want to work as medical assistants in LA would have to finish a formal training program in medical assisting. Although their choices in schools are quite scarce as there are only five accredited institutions in this state, they will not have a problem finding the right one. One of the most sought after technical schools in Louisiana is Bossier Parish Community College. This is situated in Bossier City and has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This school provides an associate’s degree to those who complete its medical assistant program. Another top pick is the Career Technical College located in Shreveport. It also provides a 2-year training program in medical assisting and grants an associate’s degree to its graduates. This school was also accredited by CAAHEP and it offers financial assistance to its students. In fact, all five schools aim to provide financial support and scholarship plans to those who are aspiring to be medical assistants.