How to ask for a raise as a medical assistant
You can ask for a raise, and the ask goes better with three things ready: what your job pays in your area, a list of what you do beyond your basic duties, and one clear number. A certification or a new duty gives your manager a concrete reason to say yes.
Below are the moves that most often lead to more pay for medical assistants, a script you can use word for word, and what to do if the answer is no. Carmen can help you practice the talk out loud before you have it with your office manager.
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$45,690 a year ($21.97 an hour)
Median pay, medical assistants, May 2025
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook$48,560 in outpatient care centers, $45,520 in physician offices
Median pay, medical assistants, by workplace, May 2025
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook$38,400 a year
Median pay, medical assistants in offices of other health practitioners, May 2025
BLS Occupational Outlook HandbookHow to get paid more as a medical assistant
Know the pay rate for your job
Start with the national number, then look at your own area. Pay changes by state, city and type of workplace. Local job ads show what other clinics near you pay right now, and that is the number your employer competes with.
- Pay
- Median $21.97 an hour for medical assistants (BLS, May 2025). Median $48,560 a year in outpatient care centers and $45,520 in physician offices.
- First step
- Find five medical assistant job ads within 30 minutes of your home and write down the hourly pay in each.
Get certified
The BLS notes that most states do not require certification, but employers may prefer or require it. Two common credentials are the CMA (AAMA) from the American Association of Medical Assistants and the RMA from American Medical Technologists. The CMA requires an accredited or approved program, while the RMA also has a work experience route: at least 3 years as a medical assistant within the past 7 years, with both clinical and administrative duties.
- What it takes
- An exam fee, plus study time. Ask if your employer will pay for it before you register.
- First step
- Check the eligibility page for the CMA or RMA and see which route you qualify for today.
Take on lead or trainer duties
If you already train new hires, cover the schedule or keep the back office running, that is lead work. Ask to have it made official, with a title and a pay rate to match. Managers find it easier to pay more for a named role than for a general feeling that you do a lot.
- First step
- Write down every new hire you trained and every task you picked up in the last year, with dates.
Build specialty clinic skills
Specialty practices like dermatology, cardiology, OB/GYN or eye care use procedures and equipment that general practices do not. Medical assistants who know them are harder to replace. The BLS gives the example of assistants in eye care who teach patients how to insert and care for contact lenses.
- First step
- Ask a provider you work with which procedure they would most like you to take off their plate, and learn it.
Become the EHR super-user
Every office has someone everyone asks when the electronic health record acts up or a new template rolls out. If that is you, you are saving providers time. Volunteer to learn new features first and to train others when the system changes.
- First step
- Ask your office manager if you can be the go-to person for the next EHR update or training.
Ask with a short script
Ask for a private talk, say what you do, say what the job pays in your area, and name one number. Then stop and let your manager answer. You can start like this: "Hi Dana, do you have 15 minutes this week to talk about my pay? I've been here two years, I'm now certified, and I trained our last three new MAs. Clinics near here pay [your number] an hour for this job, and I'd like to move up to that."
- First step
- Write your own version with your real facts and your number, then say it out loud three times.
If the answer is no
Ask: "What would I need to do to get a raise, and when can we talk again?" Ask for the answer in writing. If nothing changes by that date, look at other employers, since pay for the same job differs by setting. Outpatient care centers and hospitals had higher median pay for medical assistants than physician offices in 2025.
- Pay
- Median $48,560 a year in outpatient care centers and $46,910 in hospitals (BLS, May 2025).
- First step
- Apply to one other clinic or hospital this month, even if you plan to stay, so you know what you are worth.
Sample conversation
How a conversation with Carmen starts
Carmen asks before she suggests. An illustrative example, not a real person.
I've been an MA for three years and I just passed my RMA. My pay hasn't moved.
Passing the RMA is a clear reason to ask. Do you know what other clinics near you pay certified medical assistants?
Not really. I think a couple dollars more.
Let's check a few local job ads so you can name a real number. Then we can practice what you will say to your office manager.
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Questions & answers
- How much of a raise should a medical assistant ask for?
- Base your number on what other employers near you pay for the same job. Look at local job ads, then ask for a specific hourly rate that matches them, and higher if you are certified or do lead work.
- Does certification get medical assistants a raise?
- It often helps, because the BLS notes that employers may prefer or require certification. Whether it raises your pay depends on your employer, so ask your manager if they pay more for it before you test.
- What do I say when I ask for a raise at a medical office?
- Keep it short: ask for a private talk, list what you do beyond your basic duties, say what the job pays in your area, and name one number. Then wait for the answer.
- What if my office says there is no money for raises?
- Ask what you would need to do to get a raise and when you can talk again. Ask about a lead title, paid certification or extra duties. If nothing changes, look at other employers.