Medical Assistant Jobs in Memphis, TN
Medical assistants in Memphis room patients for the big clinic networks that run out of the Medical District, East Memphis and Germantown, and the median pay here is about $18.87 an hour. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays and how to get certified.
Current medical assistant Openings in Memphis, TN
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Assistant Work in Memphis
Most medical assistant jobs in Memphis sit inside physician practices owned by the city's hospital systems. Baptist Medical Group, Methodist Le Bonheur's Primary Care Group and Specialty Physicians Group, and the St. Francis Physician Network together run family practice, pediatric, cardiology and neurology clinics from Midtown and the Eastmoreland Medical Arts Building out along Poplar Avenue to Germantown and across the state line to Olive Branch. Orthopedic groups such as OrthoSouth add specialty and surgery center work in Germantown, Bartlett and the Primacy Parkway area. Federal wage data counts about 3,350 medical assistants in the Memphis metro, and Baptist alone had 17 MA and CMA openings posted on its own careers site this month.
Top Memphis Employers Hiring Medical Assistants
These Memphis employers post medical assistant openings on their own careers sites:
- Baptist Medical Group - hires certified medical assistants for clinics such as Humphreys Family Practice, River City Pediatrics, Internal Medicine Associates and Family Practice Group Winchester, plus a float pool.
- Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare - posts CMA II roles at Peabody Family Care, Sutherland Cardiology in Germantown and its neurology and primary care clinics.
- St. Francis Physician Network - the physician group tied to Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis on Park Avenue hires full-time day-shift medical assistants.
- OrthoSouth - the orthopedic practice hires medical assistants for its clinics and a certified medical assistant for its Germantown Surgery Center.
Medical Assistant Salaries in Memphis
- Entry level: about $17 to $18.50 per hour for new medical assistants.
- Experienced: roughly $18.50 to $21.50 per hour for certified MAs with a few years in a clinic.
- Senior and specialty: about $21.50 to $23 or more per hour for lead, float pool and specialty clinic roles.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Memphis metro, where the middle half of medical assistants earned about $37,800 to $45,000 a year. National certification, specialty clinics such as cardiology and orthopedics, float pool assignments and lead duties all push pay toward the top of the range.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Memphis
Tennessee does not issue a state license for medical assistants, so the bar is set by employers. Most Memphis health systems want a high school diploma or GED, CPR or BLS, and a national credential. Methodist Le Bonheur's CMA II postings require the AAMA Certified Medical Assistant credential and list the CCMA, RMA and NCMA as preferred. The University of Memphis Healthcare Career Academy runs a six-month online medical assisting program with a two to three day hands-on skills lab that prepares students for the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam.
What the Job Involves
Medical assistants keep a clinic moving. A typical day means rooming patients, taking vital signs and histories, updating the electronic record, drawing blood and collecting specimens, giving injections, running EKGs, setting up exam rooms and instruments, and handling refill and referral calls for the provider. In smaller practices the MA also covers check-in and scheduling.
Skills Employers Look For
- National certification such as CMA (AAMA), CCMA, RMA or NCMA
- Vital signs, injections and phlebotomy
- EKG and point-of-care testing
- Electronic health record charting
- CPR or BLS from the American Heart Association
- Calm, clear communication with patients and families
- Reliability across a full clinic schedule
Career Path and Advancement
Many Memphis medical assistants start in a primary care office, earn a national certification and move into higher-paying CMA II, float pool or specialty clinic roles at Methodist, Baptist or an orthopedic group. From there the ladder runs to lead MA, clinic coordinator and practice manager. Others use the job as a step into licensed work: the University of Memphis offers a nine-month Limited Scope Radiography program for eligible medical assistants, and the Practical Nursing program at TCAT Memphis on Alabama Avenue leads to an LPN license.
Related Careers in Memphis
If medical assisting interests you, these related Memphis roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical assistant in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee does not license medical assistants. Employers decide what credential they require, and many Memphis health systems ask for a national certification such as the AAMA CMA, NHA CCMA or AMT RMA.
How much do medical assistants make in Memphis?
Federal wage data puts the Memphis metro median at about $18.87 an hour, or $39,260 a year. New MAs generally start around $17 to $18.50 an hour, and certified MAs in specialty or lead roles can reach $23 or more.
How long does it take to become a medical assistant in Memphis?
The University of Memphis Healthcare Career Academy program can be finished in about six months, including a short in-person skills lab. Longer certificate and degree programs take about a year or more, and some employers will hire uncertified MAs into entry roles.
Which certification do Memphis employers want?
It varies by employer and level. Methodist Le Bonheur's CMA II roles require the AAMA Certified Medical Assistant credential, while Baptist Medical Group posts both certified and non-certified medical assistant roles. The NHA CCMA is the exam the University of Memphis program prepares students for.
What hours do medical assistants work in Memphis?
Most medical assistant jobs in Memphis are full-time weekday day shifts that follow clinic hours. Float pool roles move between clinics across Memphis and Germantown, and a few Baptist Medical Group roles are PRN.
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