The future for medical assisting in Oklahoma looks bright, thanks to a renewed push for healthcare reform.
After having long been ranked among the nation’s poorest performers for healthcare quality and access, this southern state has been on a mission in recent years to do an about-face and reform its healthcare system. With a Medicaid expansion in the works, more than 180,000 Oklahoma residents that previously had no healthcare coverage could be eligible to enroll. This sort of major shift in the state’s healthcare system can only mean good news for both aspiring and practicing medical assistants.
Job projections for these healthcare support professionals reflect the growth expected here in the coming years. As of 2019, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported a total of 8,910 medical assistants were working in the state. By 2021, this number is projected to increase by 2.9%, representing a very significant jump in such a short period of time. With both retiring medical assistants and the creation of new jobs taken into consideration, the Commission projects an average of 1,130 annual job openings in this field through 2021.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 Oklahoma’s medical assistants earned an average hourly wage of $14.80, or $30,770 annually. With a few years of experience and professional certification, the average hourly wage jumps to $19.48, or $40,520 a year – nearly $10,000 more annually.
Average Hourly Wages for Medical Assistants in Oklahoma’s Metro Areas
As one of the centers of economic activity in the state and a hub for healthcare services, Oklahoma City comes out on top for the number of MAs working here, and for the competitive hourly wages they earn.
The following BLS stats provide a glimpse into what medical assistants in the median – top 10% hourly wage range are earning in Oklahoma’s largest metro areas:
- Enid: $14.55 – $19.48 (approximately 80 medical assistants)
- Lawton: $12.91 – $16.77 (approximately 210 medical assistants)
- Oklahoma City: $15.06 – $19.76 (approximately 4,330 medical assistants)
- Tulsa: $15.63 – $19.78 (approximately 2,540 medical assistants)
Average Salaries for Medical Assistants in Oklahoma’s Metro Areas
The BLS reported the following salary ranges (median – top 10%) for medical assistants in Oklahoma’s largest metro areas:
- Enid: $30,260 – $40,530
- Lawton: $26,850 – $34,880
- Oklahoma City: $31,320 – $41,100
- Tulsa: $32,520 – $41,140
US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for medical assistants represents state data not school-specific information.
2019 job growth projections from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission are aggregated through the U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored resource, Projections Central.
Conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and employment data accessed May 2020.