MEDICAL ASSISTANT SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON, NEW FOR 2021

Study At A Medical Assistant School in Washington, Pursue A Perfect Career For You

Many colleges in the state of Washington offer medical assisting certificates, diplomas and associate and bachelor degree programs that help prepare graduates to pursue careers in physicians’ offices, clinics and nursing homes.

Whether you attend a vocational school, a community college, or a university, there are various medical assistant schools in Washington to choose from. As a medical assistant, you might be responsible for tasks such as:

  • Drawing blood
  • Answering phones 
  • Giving injections 
  • Filling out insurance forms 
  • Sterilizing medical equipment

Before we get into education information for medical assistants in Washington, we thought you’d be interested to learn some general education information about the state.

Colleges in Washington

According to the 2018 National Center for Education Statistics:

  • There are 43 public colleges in Washington
  • 36 of those colleges are 4 year schools, while 7 are 2 year schools
  • In 2018 there were 370,169 enrolled college students
  • Total 2018 male fall enrollment is 163,600
  • Total 2018 female fall enrollment is 206,569
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Top 15 Schools With Medical Assisting Programs in Washington

The medical assistant schools in Washington below are ranked according to total number of graduates reported by NCES in the 2018 school year. Salary information provided by College Scorecard.

1

Charter College

Vancouver, WA

Charter College offers a certificate program which may take as few as 10 months to complete. The course plan includes information, technical and administrative skills building topics. Apart from the coursework, you could expect a 180 hour externship. Upon successful completion of the program, students may be eligible to apply for either the Medical Assistant-Certified or Medical Assistant-Registered through the Washington Department of Health.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
912
$18,711
$29,450 (Cert)
$25,194 (AAS)
2

Pima Medical Institute-Renton

Renton, WA

Pima Medical Institute in Renton offers a 9 month certificate. It could help aspiring medical assistants build entry level skills across front and back office areas. There are 34 credits and a broad study plan. You could learn how to handle billing, fill out insurance forms, and know how to work alongside health care teams in diverse medical settings.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
Bachelor
223
$15,348
$27,140 (Cert)
$45,723(AAS)
N/A (BS)
3

Pima Medical Institute-Seattle

Seattle, WA

Pima Medical Institute Seattle offers a 9 month program that entails 34 credit hours. You could learn how to greet and prepare patients for their exams and may gain many clinical skills. These skills could include removing sutures, collecting lab specimens and change dressings.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
Bachelor
160
$15,348
$27,140 (Cert)
$45,723(AAS)
N/A (BS)
4

Carrington College-Spokane

Spokane, WA

Carrington College offers a medical assisting Certificate of Achievement. The course of study aims to ready graduates for the CCMA exam. It features classes in telephone techniques, injections, lab safety and more. Many students complete the program in 9 months or continue towards a 16 month Associate degree.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
81
$16,123
$29,652
5

Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Kirkland, WA

The Medical Assisting program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology is CAAHEP accredited. As a student, you could expect to take classes about front and back office duties. For e.g., medical billing, pharmacology, patient care and education.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
65
$9,900
N/A (Cert)
$37,568 (AAS)
6

Highline College

Des Moines, WA

Highline College offers an entry level certificate program. It could help you gain the skills to perform clinical tasks in an ambulatory care setting. You could also expect to learn basic keyboarding and administrative duties. Towards the end of the program, there is also an externship which is hands on.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
Bachelor
63
$4,691
N/A (Cert)
N/A (BS))$40,438>
7

Renton Technical College

Renton, WA

Renton Technical College offers an entry level medical assistant program. It includes a clinical practicum where you could practice new skills in the field. Once you graduate, you may be eligible to take all four nationally recognized medical assistant credentialing exams. Some of the skills you could gain include performing EKGs, assisting with minor surgery and drawing blood.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
62
$6,131
N/A
8

Everett Community College

Everett, WA

The Everett Community College Medical Assisting Certificate Program is CAAHEP accredited. You can earn a Certificate in Medical Assisting (85 credits) with the options of an Associate in Technical Arts (90 credits) or Associate of Applied Science (105 credits) which is also a transfer program.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
59
$9,363
N/A (Cert)
$37,568 (AAS)
9

Skagit Valley College

Mount Vernon, WA

Skagit Valley College offers a Certificate and an Associate of Applied Science degree. The certificate covers many clinical and administrative skills needed for typical procedures. You could learn how to schedule and greet patients and keep accurate electronic medical records. There is also a hands on component towards the end. This part could instruct you how to take vital signs, perform first aid and CPR, and give injections.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
48
$6,884
N/A (Cert)
$32,162 (AAS)
10

Clark College

Vancouver, WA

Clark College offers a CAAHEP accredited certificate program. It covers areas like customer service, administrative and clinical tasks. Graduates of the program may be eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) Certified Medical Assistant Examination, as well as, the national certification for Medical Assistants.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
47
$9,718
N/A (Cert)
$34,348 (AAS)
11

Spokane Community College

Spokane, WA

Spokane Community College offers a CAAHEP accredited certificate in medical assisting. It takes 4 quarters to complete and includes a 198 hour unpaid clinical externship in a medical office working directly with providers. The administrative courses cover areas like scheduling and billing. And the clinical topics include vital signs, first aid, CPR, and preparing patients for procedures.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
Bachelor
39
$5,006
N/A (Cert)
$31,702 (AAS)
N/A (BS)
12

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA

Seattle Central College admits new cohorts to its medical assisting program three times a year. There are morning, afternoon, and evening options so you can choose a schedule that fits with your needs. The classes are designed to prepare graduates to take the Certified Medical Assistant examination.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
38
$4,053
N/A (Cert)
$60,771 (AAS)
13

Perry Technical Institute

Yakima, WA

Perry Technical Institute offers a 1 year certificate program. It could help you learn about the human body in health and disease, putting this together with clinical skills to assist medical professionals. Other classes focus on business computer applications and office tasks. There is an externship as well, and this is hands on.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
37
$43,435
$32,806 (Cert)
14

Wenatchee Valley College

Wenatchee, WA

The WVC Medical Assistant program is a four-quarter, limited-enrollment program. The curriculum aims to ready grads to go for entry level jobs. Classes are held in the evening M-Th and Saturdays from 8am-5pm. The material covers duties in both direct patient care and medical office management. Once you complete the MA program you could receive a certificate of completion.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
36
$4,734
$32,925 (Cert)
$47,846 (AAS)
15

Lower Columbia College

Longview, WA

Lower Columbia College awards a Certificate of Proficiency in medical assisting. The program is CAAHEP accredited and aims to prepare graduates to sit for the AAMA’s CMA exam. For those who want to earn a degree, the College also offers an AAS program.

Programs Offered
Total Grads in 2018
2020 Tuition & Fees
Salary After Graduating
Certificate
Associate
34
$5,256
N/A

Do I Need a Medical Assistant Certification in Washington?

Making the decision to pursue your medical assisting education at a Washington vocational, two-year, or four-year school may be a great one for you. Since employers prefer to hire employees who have their certification, looking into a diploma or certificate program might be a good idea. We are here to help you by providing you with Washington schools that have medical assisting programs. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies accredits five certifications for medical assistants.

How Much Do Medical Assistants in Washington Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 there were 15,780 medical assistants in Washington. These 15k plus pros represent .48% of the states job. The median wage for medical assistants in Washington is $43,470. With an hourly median pay of $20.90.

Where do medical assistants work?

Medical assistants usually work in physician’s offices, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. They perform administrative and clinical tasks that involve working with patients, doctors, and other healthcare professionals.

A few hospitals in Washington:

  • University of Washington Medical Center
  • Virginia Mason Medical Center
  • Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children’s Hospital
  • EvergreenHealth Kirkland
  • Overlake Medical Center

What are the top metro areas in Washington to work in?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the metro area that pays the most is Longview. The 2019 median salary for medical assistants in these other metro areas is as follows:

Metro AreaJobsMedian Hourly WageMedian Annual Wage
Bellingham, WA390$19.71$41,000
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA490$20.12$41,840
Longview, WA170$20.20$42,020
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA210$19.81$41,200
Yakima, WA710$17.70$36,810

What Medical Assisting Professional Organizations are there in Washington?

By joining a professional medical assisting organization after graduation, you may enhance your medical assisting career. The Washington State Society of Medical Assistants is a professional organization in Washington and their website (http://wssma.org/) has information about certification, recertification, membership, benefits, contact information, forms, a calendar of events, a newsletter, and more.

Moving forward with the decision to pursue a medical assisting degree may be an exciting choice for you. Below is a list of our partner schools in the Washington area that offer medical assisting programs. Feel free to click on the links for additional information about each school. Remember that, even if certification isn’t necessary, many employers prefer hiring job candidates who are certified.