Approximately 1.3% of graduates in of Massachusetts receive medical assisting certificates every year. In other words, every year an estimated 2,844 medical assistants graduate from Massachusetts' 39 medical assistant schools.

Top Schools

The top-ranked school in Massachusetts with a medical assistant program is Northeastern University, which is located in Boston. In 2010, it was ranked 18th nationwide. In 2010, Northeastern University graduated 32 students from its medical assistant program. Students at Northeastern University paid $36,792 per year in tuition fees.

The second-ranked school in Massachusetts with a medical assistant program is Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, which is located in Boston. In 2010, it was ranked 37th nationwide. 106 students graduated with certificate in medical assistant from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2010. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences charged in-state students $25,480 in tuition fees per year.

Southeastern Technical Institute, which is located in South Easton, is the third-ranked school in Massachusetts that has a medical assistant program. It received a ranking of 62nd in the country in 2010. In 2010, 15 students graduated from Southeastern Technical Institute medical assistant program. The tuition rate at Southeastern Technical Institute was $0 per year.

Cost

If you choose to attend a Massachusetts medical assistant school, average tuition will be $5,528 per year. However, tuition at your particular institution may range from $3,144 per year to $36,792 per year. The highest tuition rates in 2010 at Massachusetts medical assistant schools were charged at the following schools:

1. Northeastern University - located in Boston, students are charged $36,792 per year
2. Springfield College - located in Springfield, students are charged $28,585 per year
3. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - located in Boston, students are charged $25,480 per year

The medical assistant schools that charged the lowest tuition rates in Massachusetts were:

1. Bunker Hill Community College - located in Charlestown, students are charged $3,144 per year
2. Holyoke Community College - located in Holyoke, students are charged $3,276 per year
3. Northern Essex Community College - located in Haverhill, students are charged $3,384 per year

A medical assistant certificate from a Massachusetts school... what next?

Most people who graduate from medical assistant school in Massachusetts go on to work as a medical assistant. In 2010, there were 13,190 medical assistants working in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts counties with the largest populations of medical assistants are:

1. Bristol County - 7,930 medical assistants
2. Hartford County - 1,280 medical assistants
3. Windham County - 1,050 medical assistants

Projected Growth

The government projects that by 2018, the number of medical assistants in the state of Massachusetts will grow to 15,270. This would require a 20% growth in the profession.

Salary

On average, medical assistants earn $35,010 per year. But, salaries for medical assistants can vary. In 2010, medical assistants made as little as less than $22,050 per year or as much as more than $56,140 per year in Massachusetts. The counties in Massachusetts with the highest average salary for a medical assistant are:

1. Barnstable County - $39,390 per year
2. Windham County - $36,620 per year
3. Middlesex County - $35,155 per year

A medical assistant in the following counties in Massachusetts make the lowest salaries on average:

1. Worcester County - $29,580 per year
2. Hartford County - $30,990 per year
3. Berkshire County - $31,670 per year

More Information

Take a look at the graphs and charts below for additional Massachusetts statistics regarding a career in medical assisting and to compare salaries with a variety of related fields such as physical therapy assisting or medical assisting.