Medical Office Assistant/Specialist Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Medical Office Assistant/Specialist maps to BLS occupations averaging about $61,432, with roughly 901,610 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $5,242; common paths include Home Health Aides and Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists.
Key Statistics
Medical Office Assistant/Specialist: what the data shows
Common questions about medical office assistant/specialist degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a medical office assistant/specialist degree?
A Medical Office Assistant/Specialist program is classified under NCES CIP 51.0710 in the Health and Medical Administrative Services field family (51.07).
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of office managers and other professionals, to perform routine administrative duties in a medical, clinical, or health care facility/system office environment. Includes instruction in general office skills, data processing, office equipment operation, principles of medical record-keeping and business regulations, medical/clinical office procedures, and communications skills
Types of medical office assistant/specialist degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 51.07 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Clinical Research Coordinator (CIP 51.0719)
- Disease Registry Data Management (CIP 51.0721)
- Health & Medical Administrative Services (CIP 51.0701)
- Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator (CIP 51.0706)
- Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0707)
- Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk (CIP 51.0703)
- Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor (CIP 51.0704)
- Health/Medical Claims Examiner (CIP 51.0715)
- Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security (CIP 51.0723)
- Healthcare Innovation (CIP 51.0722)
- Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management (CIP 51.0702)
- Long Term Care Administration/Management (CIP 51.0718)
- Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary (CIP 51.0716)
- Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder (CIP 51.0713)
- Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller (CIP 51.0714)
- Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant (CIP 51.0709)
- Medical Office Management/Administration (CIP 51.0705)
- Medical Reception/Receptionist (CIP 51.0712)
- Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician (CIP 51.0717)
- Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist (CIP 51.0708)
- Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist (CIP 51.0711)
- Regulatory Science/Affairs (CIP 51.0720)
How long does it take to get a medical office assistant/specialist degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0710 in our file:
- 963 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Home Health Aides (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a medical office assistant/specialist degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Medical Office Assistant/Specialist to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Medical Assistants | 793,460 | $44,200 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | 23,220 | $109,660 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a medical office assistant/specialist degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Health and Medical Administrative Services bachelor's program family: median debt $13,987, median earnings $58,716 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.31.
About 4.3% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $5,242 and median net price is $15,282.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$5,242 Median In-State Public
$25,080 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist majors are, on average, $5,242 for in-state public colleges, and $25,080 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 4 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 5 | Western Governors University | UT | 155,088 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Medical Office Assistant/Specialist programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
| 5 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 3 | Infinity College | LA | $230 |
| 4 | Infinity College | LA | $230 |
| 5 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $614 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 51.07 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Clinical Research Coordinator CIP 51.0719
- Disease Registry Data Management CIP 51.0721
- Health & Medical Administrative Services CIP 51.0701
- Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator CIP 51.0706
- Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician CIP 51.0707
- Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk CIP 51.0703
- Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor CIP 51.0704
- Health/Medical Claims Examiner CIP 51.0715
- Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security CIP 51.0723
- Healthcare Innovation CIP 51.0722
- Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management CIP 51.0702
- Long Term Care Administration/Management CIP 51.0718
- Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary CIP 51.0716
- Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder CIP 51.0713
- Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller CIP 51.0714
- Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant CIP 51.0709
- Medical Office Management/Administration CIP 51.0705
- Medical Reception/Receptionist CIP 51.0712
- Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician CIP 51.0717
- Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist CIP 51.0708
- Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist CIP 51.0711
- Regulatory Science/Affairs CIP 51.0720
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 51.0710 in the survey year used in our extract (963 total across levels below).
- 963 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $61,432. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Medical Office Assistant/Specialist graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $110,339 | 84,930 |
| Medical Assistants | $54,270 | 793,460 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $127,278 | 23,220 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Health and Medical Administrative Services CIP family (90 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Medical Office Assistant/Specialist graduate.
- $13,987 median federal loan debt among completers
- $58,716 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.3% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$61,432 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist majors is $61,432.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist majors.
Occupations by Share
901,610 2023 Workforce
The number of Medical Office Assistant/Specialist graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist.
Age distribution for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
4,419 Total Degrees Awarded
306 Male (6.92%)
4,113 Female (93.08%)
Gender distribution of Medical Office Assistant/Specialist degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
1,251 White (28.31%)
1,132 Hispanic or Latino (25.62%)
1,093 Black or African American (24.73%)
152 Asian (3.44%)
120 Two or More Races (2.72%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Medical Office Assistant/Specialist degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Medical Office Assistant/Specialist field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Medical Office Assistant/Specialist majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Medical Office Assistant/Specialist majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of office managers and other professionals, to perform routine administrative duties in a medical, clinical, or health care facility/system office environment. Includes instruction in general office skills, data processing, office equipment operation, principles of medical record-keeping and business regulations, medical/clinical office procedures, and communications skills
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Medical Office Assistant/Specialist.
CIP Code
51.0710 - Medical Office Assistant/Specialist
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $13,987 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $58,716, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Medical Office Assistant/Specialist graduate.
Women earned 93.1% of 4,419 Medical Office Assistant/Specialist completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $61,432. The largest mapped role by headcount is Home Health Aides (N/A U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $5,242 in-state at public colleges and $25,080 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.