Medical Assistants vs Medical Transcriptionists: $46K vs $40K Median Pay

Medical Assistants vs Medical Transcriptionists: what changes?

Consider Medical Assistants if you want to perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Consider Medical Transcriptionists if you would rather transcribe medical reports recorded by physicians and other healthcare practitioners using various electronic devices, covering office visits, emergency room visits, diagnostic imaging studies, operations…. Both list postsecondary nondegree award; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Medical Assistants and Medical Transcriptionists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Medical Assistants

National median pay (2025): $45,690
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 109,700

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Medical Assistants brief

Medical Transcriptionists

National median pay (2025): $40,410
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Return dictated reports in printed or electronic form for physician's review, signature, and corrections and for inclusion in patients' medical records.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,200

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 4.4% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Medical Transcriptionists brief

How the national numbers differ

Medical Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Medical Assistants is at 12.9% projected growth, compared with -4.4% projected growth for Medical Transcriptionists.

Medical Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Medical Assistants is at 109,700 annual openings, compared with 6,200 annual openings for Medical Transcriptionists.

Medical Assistants has the edge on median pay

Medical Assistants is at $45,690, compared with $40,410 for Medical Transcriptionists.

65.6/ 100

Medical Assistants

31.1/ 100

Medical Transcriptionists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Medical Assistants vs Medical Transcriptionists

Dimension	Medical Assistants	Medical Transcriptionists
Median pay (2025)	$45,690	$40,410
Pay percentile	19.1 percentile	11.8 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	12.9%	-4.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	109,700	6,200
2025 employment	833,900	42,000
How you qualify	Postsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Medical Assistants brief Read Medical Transcriptionists brief

Medical Assistants vs Medical Transcriptionists: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Medical Assistants

Medical Transcriptionists

How the national numbers differ

Medical Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Medical Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Medical Assistants has the edge on median pay

Medical Assistants vs Medical Transcriptionists

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