A CMA in the medical field is a Certified Medical Assistant, a healthcare professional who works alongside physicians to handle both clinical and administrative tasks in a medical office or clinic. The credential is awarded by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) after passing a national certification exam, and it’s one of the most widely recognized certifications in the field.
What a CMA Actually Does
CMAs sit at the intersection of patient care and office operations. On the clinical side, they take vital signs, draw blood, collect lab specimens, administer medications and vaccines under a physician’s direction, perform EKGs, assist with procedures, care for wounds, and prepare patients for examinations. They’re often the first person you interact with during an appointment, asking about your medical history and explaining what to expect from a procedure or treatment.
On the administrative side, CMAs schedule appointments, manage medical records in electronic health systems, handle insurance billing and coding, process claims, greet patients, coordinate referrals to labs or specialists, and help patients understand their coverage. Some CMAs lean more heavily toward one side or the other depending on the practice, but the certification covers both.
What CMAs Cannot Do
Despite their broad role, CMAs work under physician supervision and cannot independently diagnose conditions, prescribe medications, or make clinical judgments. Their scope of practice varies significantly by state. In New York, for example, “Medical Assistant” isn’t even a licensed title, and CMAs are prohibited from drawing up medications in syringes, administering injections or vaccinations, and performing triage. Other states allow a wider range of clinical tasks. The guiding principle everywhere is the same: tasks requiring medical judgment or decision-making cannot be delegated to a medical assistant.
How to Become a CMA
The primary path is completing a medical assisting program accredited by either CAAHEP or ABHES, then passing the CMA (AAMA) certification exam. These programs are typically available at community colleges and vocational schools, and most take one to two years to complete. Students can register for the exam as soon as they’ve finished all classroom coursework, even before completing their externship.
The exam itself consists of 200 multiple-choice questions split across three content areas. Clinical competency makes up the largest portion at 59%, covering everything from patient intake and vital signs to pharmacology and specimen collection. General knowledge accounts for 21%, focusing on medical law, ethics, HIPAA regulations, and communication skills. Administrative content makes up the remaining 20%, testing billing, coding, insurance processing, and health information management.
An alternative pathway exists for people who graduated from postsecondary medical assisting programs that weren’t CAAHEP or ABHES accredited, though it has its own set of criteria.
Keeping the Certification Active
CMA certification lasts five years. To recertify, you need 60 continuing education units (CEUs), with at least 30 coming from AAMA-approved sources. Those 30 AAMA CEUs must be split evenly: 10 in administrative topics, 10 in clinical, and 10 in general. The remaining 30 can come from any combination. If you don’t accumulate enough CEUs, or if your credential has been expired for more than three months, you have to retake the full certification exam.
CMA vs. RMA vs. CCMA
The CMA (AAMA) isn’t the only medical assistant credential. Two other common ones are the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from American Medical Technologists and the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association. All three involve a 200-question exam, but they differ in focus, eligibility, and maintenance requirements.
- CMA (AAMA): Covers both clinical and administrative skills. Requires graduation from an accredited program. Recertifies every five years with 60 CEUs.
- RMA (AMT): Similar scope to the CMA. Accepts graduates from accredited programs with at least 160 hours of externship, or five years of work experience. Recertifies every three years with 30 CEUs.
- CCMA (NHA): Emphasizes clinical duties like phlebotomy, vital signs, and patient preparation rather than administrative tasks. Requires an accredited program or one year of clinical experience. Recertifies every two years with just 10 CEUs.
The CMA is generally considered the most widely recognized of the three and has the longest certification cycle, which means less frequent recertification paperwork.
Salary and Job Outlook
Medical assistants earned a median wage of $42,000 per year ($20.19 per hour) as of May 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies substantially by industry. Medical assistants working in scientific research and development averaged $55,130 annually, while those in outpatient care centers averaged $50,250. The setting matters more than many people expect.
The job market for medical assistants is strong. Employment is projected to grow 12% from 2024 to 2034, well above the average for all occupations. That growth is driven by an aging population, expanding outpatient care, and the increasing reliance on team-based care models where CMAs take on routine clinical tasks so physicians can focus on more complex work.