Frontline Workers’ Career Pathways: A Detailed Look at Washington State’s Medical Assistant Workforce

Medical assistants (MAs) are a rapidly growing and increasingly important workforce. High MA turnover, however, is common and employers report applicants frequently do not meet their needs. We collected survey responses from a representative sample of 3,355 of Washington’s MAs with certified status (MA-Cs) to understand their demographic, education, and employment backgrounds; job satisfaction; and career plans. Descriptive analyses showed 93.0% were female with a $19.91 mean hourly wage, and while generally satisfied, 56.2% indicated they would seek training or employment in another health care occupation within 5 years, with higher percentages among MA-Cs who felt overwhelmed by their workload and/or not satisfied with promotion opportunities. Regression analyses showed Hispanic, Black, and Asian MA-Cs were more likely than White MA-Cs to express interest in other health care careers. Strategies that strengthen MA career pathways and retain qualified workers should reward both employers and MAs and contribute to a stable and diverse workforce.