How to hire medical assistants
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies. • Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing. • Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients. • Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures. • Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height. • Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean. • Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records. • Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Postsecondary nondegree award] • Strong active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking, monitoring and writing skills • Working knowledge of English Language, customer and personal service, medicine and dentistry and administrative • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $21.97 an hour ($45,690 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for medical assistants
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What medical assistants do
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures.
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for medical assistants
- Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Job outlook: +12.9% over ten years, much faster than average · about 109,700 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay medical assistants
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $59,290 |
| Alaska | $52,560 |
| District of Columbia | $51,050 |
| Minnesota | $50,480 |
| Oregon | $50,410 |
| Louisiana | $36,320 |
| Alabama | $36,100 |
| Mississippi | $35,360 |
See medical assistants pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Surgical Assistants
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- Registered Nurses
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
- Physical Therapist Aides
- Nursing Assistants
- Dental Assistants
- Medical Records Specialists
- Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.