Employment

Medical assistants held about 483,600 jobs nationally in 2008. About 62 percent worked in offices of physicians; 13 percent worked in public and private hospitals, including inpatient and outpatient facilities; and 11 percent worked in offices of other health practitioners, such as chiropractors and optometrists. Most of the remainder worked in other healthcare industries, such as outpatient care centers and nursing and residential care facilities. Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow 34 percent from 2008 to 2018.