Medical Assistant Jobs in Charlotte, NC
Charlotte's two big health systems, Atrium Health and Novant Health, run outpatient clinics from Uptown to Ballantyne, and every one of them needs medical assistants. Atrium has posted certified MA pay starting at $22.90 an hour. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get certified.
Current medical assistant Openings in Charlotte, NC
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Assistant Work in Charlotte
Medical assistants in Charlotte work mostly in outpatient practices, and the city has a lot of them. Novant Health alone lists dozens of certified medical assistant openings across the Charlotte region at any given time, at family medicine, pediatrics, cardiology and specialty clinics in SouthPark, Ballantyne, Eastover, Highland Creek, Mint Hill and Matthews. Atrium Health hires for its specialty clinics along Morehead Medical Drive near Carolinas Medical Center in Dilworth, and for primary care offices across Mecklenburg County.
The physician groups add another layer. Tryon Medical Partners runs primary care and specialty offices in SouthPark, Pineville, Waverly and Uptown, Charlotte Gastroenterology and Hepatology has offices on Randolph Road, at Rea Farms and in Huntersville and Mint Hill, and OrthoCarolina staffs its orthopedic clinics with clinical assistants. Because two large systems and several big independent groups compete for the same people, certified MAs in Charlotte can be choosy about specialty, location and schedule, and most clinic jobs here keep weekday daytime hours.
Top Charlotte Employers Hiring Medical Assistants
These Charlotte employers hire medical assistants, and each lists the role on its own careers site:
- Novant Health - hires certified medical assistants for its family medicine, pediatrics, heart and vascular, psychiatry and sleep medicine clinics across Charlotte.
- Atrium Health - hires CMAs and RMAs for specialty clinics such as Atrium Health Charlotte GI on Morehead Medical Drive, with posted pay of $22.90 to $34.35 an hour.
- Tryon Medical Partners - the independent physician group hires certified medical assistants for primary care in SouthPark, Pineville, Waverly and Uptown, plus float and dermatology roles.
- Charlotte Gastroenterology and Hepatology - the GI practice hires CMAs to room patients, take vitals and assist physicians across its Charlotte-area offices.
- OrthoCarolina - the orthopedic practice hires clinical assistants, a role open to CMAs and RMAs, for its Charlotte-area clinics.
Medical Assistant Salaries in Charlotte
- Entry level: about $17 to $20 an hour for new graduates and uncertified MAs.
- Experienced: roughly $21 to $25 an hour for certified MAs with a few years in a clinic.
- Senior and lead: about $27 to $34 an hour for lead MAs and experienced CMAs in specialty clinics.
These are estimates built from federal wage data for the Charlotte metro, where the median medical assistant earns about $22.36 an hour, and from pay ranges employers post. National certification is the biggest lever: Atrium's MA postings require a CMA or RMA credential, and specialty clinics such as cardiology, GI and orthopedics tend to pay toward the top of the range. Lead MA roles add supervisory pay.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Charlotte
North Carolina does not issue a state license for medical assistants, so there is no state board to apply to. What Charlotte employers want instead is national certification: the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) from the American Association of Medical Assistants, the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from American Medical Technologists, or the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association, plus American Heart Association BLS. Central Piedmont Community College runs a CAAHEP-accredited Medical Assisting program at its Levine Campus in Matthews, offering a diploma in about 2.5 semesters or a two-year associate degree, and graduates are eligible to sit for the CMA exam.
What the Job Involves
Medical assistants keep a clinic moving. A typical day means rooming patients, taking vital signs and medical histories, updating the electronic health record, giving injections and vaccines as directed, drawing blood or collecting specimens, setting up for procedures, and handling prescription refill requests and prior authorizations. In smaller offices you may also check patients in, schedule follow-ups and answer phones.
Skills Employers Look For
- CMA, RMA or CCMA certification and current BLS
- Accurate vital signs and patient intake
- Electronic health record experience, such as Epic
- Injections, phlebotomy and specimen collection
- Clear, calm communication with patients and providers
- Organization in a fast clinic schedule
Career Path and Advancement
Many Charlotte MAs start in primary care, then move into higher-paying specialty clinics such as cardiology, GI or orthopedics. Novant posts lead medical assistant roles, and from there the path runs to clinic coordinator or practice supervisor. Others use the job as a step into nursing: Central Piedmont's practical nursing and ADN programs, UNC Charlotte's School of Nursing and Carolinas College of Health Sciences in Midtown all train nurses close to home.
Related Careers in Charlotte
If medical assisting interests you, these Charlotte healthcare guides are a good next stop:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical assistant in Charlotte?
No. North Carolina does not license medical assistants. Most Charlotte employers do require national certification, usually the CMA, RMA or CCMA, and Atrium Health's postings ask for a CMA or RMA plus BLS.
How much do medical assistants make in Charlotte?
Federal wage data puts the Charlotte metro median at about $22.36 an hour, with most MAs earning between about $17.61 and $27.33. Atrium Health has posted certified MA pay of $22.90 to $34.35 an hour for specialty clinics.
How long does it take to become a medical assistant in Charlotte?
Central Piedmont Community College's Medical Assisting diploma can be finished in about 2.5 semesters, and its associate degree takes two years. Graduates of the CAAHEP-accredited program are eligible to sit for the CMA exam.
Do medical assistants in Charlotte work weekends?
Most clinic MA jobs in Charlotte are weekday daytime shifts, such as the Monday through Friday, 7:45 to 4:15 schedule Atrium posts for its GI clinic. Pediatric after-hours and urgent care clinics are the main exceptions and may include evenings and weekends.
Who hires medical assistants in Charlotte?
The two big health systems, Novant Health and Atrium Health, hire medical assistants for clinics across Mecklenburg County, and so do large physician groups such as Tryon Medical Partners, Charlotte Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and OrthoCarolina. Novant regularly lists dozens of certified medical assistant openings across the Charlotte region.
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