Georgia is home to a surprisingly high number of medical assistants working within its borders. There is an average of 4.62 medical assistants for every 1,000 workers here. If you want to become a medical assistant in GA, you need to have a good education. That is where medical assistant schools in Georgia can help you out. Let’s take a look at some of the educational programs available to you so you can enroll in school right away.
Georgia Medical Assistant Schools at a Glance
You can attend school online or on a college campus to become a medical assistant. The key is to find a school that is properly accredited. The CAAHEP and the ABHES are the two biggest authorities on medical assistant schools in the country. Try to attend a school that is accredited by one of those organizations. You will spend about a year in school before becoming a medical assistant, but then you can work anywhere you want in Georgia.
To have the best chance at success in this profession, you will need to become a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant. This will require you to take an exam from the National Healthcare Association or the American Association of Medical Assistants. Once you complete that exam, you will be able to show future employers that you know what you are doing. Then you can easily apply for a job at a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, or nursing home in Georgia.
Medical Assistant Jobs in Georgia
There are currently 17,630 medical assistants working in Georgia, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012. Marietta carries most of these medical assistants, with over 10,000 professionals in the metropolitan alone. You can find work in Atlanta, Savannah, and many other cities in the state, where you’ll earn an average of $13.47 an hour. This is slightly lower than the national average from 2010 at $13.87 an hour, but it is a solid income for a southern state with a low standard of living.
Top Medical Assistant Schools in Georgia
Dalton State College
- Location: Dalton
- Programs: Certificate, Associate’s
- Tuition*: $13,917 (Certificate); $27,834 (Associate’s)
- Accreditation: CAAHEP
American Professional Institute
- Location: Decatur, Gainesville, Macon, Mercer, Milledgeville, Riverside, and Duluth
- Programs: Certificate
- Tuition*: $14,750
- Accreditation: ABHES
- Location: Oakwood, Forsyth, and Winder-Barrow
- Programs: Diploma, Associate’s
- Tuition*: $6,125 (Diploma); $12,250 (Associate’s)
- Accreditation: CAAHEP
- Location: Atlanta
- Programs: Certificate
- Tuition*: $15,965
- Accreditation: ABHES
Chattahoochee Technical College
- Location: Marietta
- Programs: Diploma, Associate’s
- Tuition*: $3,794 (Diploma); $7,588 (Associate’s)
- Accreditation: CAAHEP
