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Medical Assisting in Tennessee

There are plenty of medical assisting jobs in Tennessee and new openings are predicted to be created over the next few years as the demands on healthcare services increase across the state. Currently there are 14,380 people employed as medical assistants, many in the Nashville and Knoxville areas, which is the equivalent of 5.11 medical assistant jobs for every 1,000 jobs.

There is no state definition of the scope of practice of medical assistants or any outline as to the tasks they can and cannot perform. The minimum level of education to work as a medical assistant in the state is a high school diploma or GED, although there are better job opportunities for medical assistants who have completed postsecondary training on a diploma, certificate or degree program.

Tennessee doesn’t require medical assisting graduates to sit a certification exam on completing their training, but becoming certified can make you a more attractive applicant when going for entry level positions. Many employers such as doctors’ office and hospitals prefer to hire CMAs or RMAs rather than those without these credentials.

The average pay for all types of medical assistants in Tennessee is an hourly wage of $14.39, or an annual salary of $29,920.

The Tennessee Society of Medical Assistants (TNSMA) can help with finding job vacancies and is the state affiliate of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). There are local chapters in:

  • Chattanooga
  • Cherokee
  • Knoxville-Knox
  • Memphis-Shelby
  • Northeast Tennessee

Tennessee Medical Assistant Schools and Programs

Miller-Motte Technical College

Miller-Motte Technical College provides training in clinical and administrative medical assisting duties on a degree program at its campuses in Clarksville and Chattanooga. On this program, students will be instructed in the patient care and administrative skills required to perfrom an entry level medical assisting role.

Degree

  • Length: 72 weeks
  • Cost: $25,560
  • Job Placement Rate: 86%

Tennessee College of Applied Technology

Located in Knoxville, Tennessee College of Applied Technology runs a year long medical assistant certificate program that begins each September. Classes are during the day and training includes instruction in clerical and clinical skills as well as hands on experience on a clinical externship.

Certificate

  • Length: 12 months
  • Cost: $3,426
  • Job Placement Rate: 100%