10 Best Medical Assistant Programs in Texas – 2024
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
If you are proud to live and work in Texas and you are searching for a career that allows you the opportunity to enter the healthcare industry in less than two years, medical assisting may be right for you. This is an excellent career choice for anyone who is interested in providing valuable support services to doctors and nurses, and by obtaining the best possible education in your local area, you can improve your chances of succeeding. Below, we have ranked the best medical assistant schools in Texas to help you make more informed decisions about your future.
4 Habits of Highly Successful Medical Assisting Students
If you want to succeed at your medical assistant program in TX, follow the lead of some of the successful MA students in the state.
• They take care of themselves. If you want to succeed as a medical assisting student, you must take care of yourself by eating right, staying hydrated, and sleeping seven to eight hours each night.
• They make time to study. Attending school is one thing but studying outside of school is another. Carve out an hour a two each day to review material and prepare for the next day’s lessons.
• They ask for help. If certain courses or topics are difficult to understand, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Mentors, professors, and even other students will do their best to help you.
• They take their studies seriously. Finally, successful medical assisting students take their education very seriously to earn a higher salary and land the most lucrative jobs.
Medical Assistant Program Length & Cost in Texas
If you want to complete a certificate or diploma program in TX, you can expect it to take up to 18 months and cost as much as $27,870. If you want to get an associate degree – which is preferred among Texas employers – it will take you two years and cost up to $45,010. Keep in mind that an associate degree from a local community or technical college will cost significantly less than the same degree from a private university. In fact, you can earn one for as little as $5300.
| Type of Program | Length | Cost |
| Certificate / Diploma | 8 – 18 Months | $1,440 - $27,870 |
| Associate Degree | 2 Years | $5,300 - $45,010 |
WHAT ARE THE BEST MEDICAL ASSISTANT PROGRAMS IN TEXAS?
(Based on our Ranking Methodology, below are the 10 best Medical Assistant programs in Texas. The list includes both campus-based and online programs.)
1) Remington College - Dallas, Fort Worth, Greenspoint & Webster
Medical Assisting Programs: The college offers a 12-month diploma and a 24-month associate degree program with a strong emphasis on administrative, clinical, and cardiac specialty procedures. The associate is more broad-based and will provide you with a well-rounded education. Both programs will prepare you for the CCMA exam and the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification exam.
Medical Assisting with X-Ray Tech (Limited Scope) Track: This is a specialized track that focuses on radiographic imaging and radioscopy, in addition to the regular medical assisting coursework. You can pursue this track either through a 12-month diploma or a 24-month associate degree. Graduates from either program will be qualified to sit for the CCMA exam as well as for the medical radiologic technologist non-certified technician exam.
*Curriculum of all the four programs includes a 160-hour externship which gives you hands-on clinical experience in a variety of healthcare settings.
*Credits earned in any diploma program are 100% transferable to the respective A.S. degree.
2) Western Technical College, El Paso
The 33-credit coursework is divided into two terms – term I (17 credits) and term II (16 credits). Courses in the first term will provide knowledge and skills in medical terminology, anatomy, clinical & clerical procedures, as well as English composition, which will enrich your writing and communications skills. In the second term, you will be trained in electronic health records, medical insurance filing, pharmacology principles, medical ethics, among others and you will also undergo 160 (minimum) to 216 hours (maximum) of clinical training. After completing the course, you can take up a job either as a medical, lab assistant, medical clerk, phlebotomist, or EKG technician.
3) The College of Health Care Professions - Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston Northwest, Houston Southwest, McAllen, Northwest San Antonio & South San Antonio
Full-time: If you currently have no work or family commitments and want to pursue this program full-time, you can opt for daytime classes and complete your medical assisting education in as little as 35 weeks.
Part-time: If you are a working student or have family commitments, you can go for the 54-week afternoon/evening classes, study at your pace and become a professional medical assistant.
Blended: This 36-week program is a mix of on-campus and online studies, facilitating you to study at the convenience of your time and place partially.
*The 44-semester-credit coursework for full-time and part-time formats is divided into 7 modules, whereas, for the blended 41-semester-credit format the coursework is divided into 8 modules. The curriculum of all the three formats includes a 180-hour externship, providing you with the much-needed clinical experience in a real-world setting.
4) Amarillo College, Amarillo
Certificate: This 28-semester-hour program is divided into general education courses (13 hours) and core clinical medical assisting courses (15 hours) – preparing you with the required professional skills for a rewarding career in a very short time.
A.A.S. Degree: The coursework of this 60-semester-hour program is distributed into 16 semester hours of general education courses, 10 semester hours for basic medical assisting courses which include medical terminology and human anatomy, and the remaining 34 semester hours comprise coursework dedicated to clinical and administrative aspects of medical assisting.
5) Concorde Career College - Dallas, Grand Prairie & San Antonio
The classes for this program are held during the day/evening. The coursework is a combination of on-campus and online studies with a strong emphasis on covering all aspects of the front office and back office procedures. You will learn how to greet the patients, take their vital stats, and prepare them for examination or treatment. In addition to this, you will also gain knowledge in phlebotomy, pathology, anatomy, and medical terminology. Graduates can look for medical assisting job positions in a variety of settings and kick start their career.
6) Southwest University, El Paso
This medical assistant school in Texas currently offers two programs –
• The 36-week certificate program is rigorous in nature and comprises of a 60-credit curriculum. This 910-hour coursework is distributed into – 375 hours of classroom instruction, 345 hours of lab work, and a 190-hour clinical externship. Additionally, you will be required to devote 297.5 hours for research, cohort activities, and self-studies (homework), all of which are a part of the college’s Outside Preparation Policy for the certificate program.
• The 48-week A.A.S. Degree program includes entire coursework of the certificate program, and in addition to that, you will devote 290 hours to general education courses and a broad-based knowledge by enhancing your critical thinking, interpersonal, and communication skills.
7) Panola College, Carthage
Panola offers two programs in medical assisting:
Certificate: It is a short-term, 2-semester program that consists of 28 credits of coursework – First Semester (15 credits), and Second Semester (13 credits). The curriculum is quite comprehensive in nature and prepares you for the certified medical administrative assistant exam.
A.A.S. Degree: This 60-credit program is divided into four semesters. Coursework of the first two semesters is similar to that of the certificate program, whereas, the third semester (15 credits), and the fourth semester (17 credits) include general education courses and advanced clinical & lab procedures, among others. Upon completion of this program, you can sit for the certified clinical medical assistant exam administered by NHA.
8) Vista College, El Paso
Diploma: The diploma program primarily focuses on core medical assisting coursework and can be completed in about 50 weeks. The program is offered at six locations in Texas - Beaumont, College Station, El Paso, Killeen, Longview, and Lubbock.
A.A.S. Degree: This 80-week program is available with flexible day and night classes, at two campuses – College Station and El Paso. Apart from core medical assisting courses, you will also undertake general education courses to gain a more well-rounded education.
Medical Administrative Assistant Diploma program: This 62-week diploma program is delivered completely online, thus providing students the liberty to study at their own convenient time and place.
9) McLennan Community College, Waco
McLennan offers a 2-year A.A.S. degree in medical assisting. The classes for this 60-credit coursework start each year in the Fall semester and cover topics like pharmaceutical, physiology, human anatomy, math, English, and keyboarding. In the following Spring semester, you will start gaining expertise in clerical and clinical procedures. The summer session of the first year will expose you to front office clinical rotations. In the second year, you will learn about medical law and ethics, pharmacology, psychology, lab procedures, among others, while the summer session of the second year will be devoted to back-office clinical rotations.
10) San Jacinto Community College, Houston
This 39-credit coursework is divided into 16 credits each for the first and second semester, and seven credits for the last semester. Starting each Fall, your studies will begin with medical terminology, clerical procedures, human anatomy, among others. In the mid/second semester, you will start learning about pharmacology, pathophysiology, medical laws, clinical procedures, and more. In the last semester, you will undergo a 240-hour unpaid clinical externship where you will sharpen your knowledge attained during classroom studies and lab work. To proceed from one semester to another, you must secure grade “C” or better in each course. Upon graduation, you can appear for the CMA and RMA exams to become a certified medical assistant or registered medical assistant, respectively.
Medical Assistant Career Information For Texas - 2024
How Many Medical Assistants are Currently Employed in TX?
| 66,550 |
Where do Medical Assistants Work in Texas?
Once you become a medical assistant, you can work in any number of industries and settings. Most MAs across Texas work in doctors’ offices, and still others work for chiropractors, in clinics, or in one of the dozens of hospitals spread across the state. No matter where you work, your duties will vary from one day to the next. During one shift, you may perform mainly clerical duties by organizing files and charts or answering phones; during the next, you may be responsible for greeting patients, seeing them to treatment rooms, and cleaning the treatment rooms between patients. Some environments are far more stressful than others, too. Working in an emergency room is far faster-paced than working in a chiropractor’s office, for example.
| Industry | Number of Medical Assistants |
| Offices of Physicians | 37,830 |
| Hospitals | 9,500 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 6,240 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 5,440 |
What is the Average Salary of a Medical Assistant in Texas?
The average medical assistant salary in Texas is $36,910. This is equal to about $17.75 an hour or $3,080 a month. This is well above minimum wage, and when you consider that no formal education is required for this job, it is easy to see why it has become so popular – especially among young adults and high school graduates who are looking to enter the workforce as quickly as possible. You can increase your salary even further by gaining experience, earning an associate degree (if you do not already have one), and applying for lucrative positions in fast-paced, stressful environments that tend to pay MAs more.
| Type | Salary |
| Hourly | $17.75 |
| Monthly | $3,080 |
| Annual | $36,910 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | |
Salary Based on Years of Experience
| Years of Experience | Hourly | Monthly | Annual |
| Less than 1 year (Starting) | $13.62 | $2,360 | $28,320 |
| 1-4 years | $15.28 | $2,650 | $31,780 |
| 5-9 years | $17.71 | $3,070 | $36,830 |
| 10-19 years | $19.45 | $3,370 | $40,460 |
| 20 years or more | $22.06 | $3,820 | $45,880 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | |||
Medical Assistant Average Salary Comparison: Texas vs. National
When compared to the national average salary for all medical assistants, which is $40,700, Texas falls a little short. Texas MAs’ salaries are about 9.31% less than the average across the country.
| Texas | National | Difference | |
| Number | % | ||
| $36,910 | $40,700 | -$3,790 | -9.31% |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | |||
Job Outlook
With your income a little less than the national average but still quite respectable, you can also enjoy a well-above-average job outlook. In 2020, there were 72,040 medical assistants in TX, but by 2030, that number will climb by 20,900 (or 29.01%) to 92,940. This is tremendous growth, and it is being fueled by several factors.
The first is increased access to affordable healthcare, even among the lower-middle-class and poor families. As more Texans gain access to health insurance, they make more doctor appointments, and this means more health professionals will be required to provide care. The other factor driving the significant growth of MA employment in TX is population growth. Between July 2017 and July 2018, an additional 104,976 people moved to Texas for its outstanding job opportunities.
| Employment | Employment Growth (2020-2030) | ||
| 2020 | 2030 | Number | Percent |
| 72,040 | 92,940 | +20,900 | +29.01% |
| (Source: careeronestop) | |||
Annual Job Openings
| New | Replacement | Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement) | |
| 2,090 | 9,550 | 11,640 | |
| (Source: careeronestop) | |||
Metro Wise Employment & Salary Data
Before making the decision to become a medical assistant, take some time to better understand how the metropolitan area where you work can influence your career, both in terms of job opportunities and your income. There is a pay gap of almost $10,000 a year between certain metro areas, and two metropolitan locations are home to well over half the state’s population of medical assistants, as well. However, not all high-paying metro areas have plenty of jobs from which to choose.
As an example, though there are 2,510 medical assistants working in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro, they only earn a collective average salary of $29,040 a year – far less than the state average. On the other hand, the affluent Longview metro offers MAs some of the highest pay in the state with an average of $36,300 a year, but there are only 270 of them working here, which means very few job opportunities.
By far, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro offers the best of both worlds. There are over 17,820 medical assistants working here, and they earn an average annual salary of $38,930.
| Metro | Employment | Average Salary | ||
| Hourly | Monthly | Annual | ||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 17,820 | $18.72 | $3,240 | $38,930 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 16,050 | $18.64 | $3,230 | $38,770 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | 7,570 | $17.27 | $2,990 | $35,920 |
| Austin-Round Rock | 5,650 | $19.31 | $3,350 | $40,170 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | 2,510 | $13.96 | $2,420 | $29,040 |
| El Paso | 2,060 | $14.86 | $2,580 | $30,910 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | 1,190 | $14.12 | $2,450 | $29,370 |
| Corpus Christi | 940 | $16.30 | $2,830 | $33,900 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | 830 | $16.90 | $2,930 | $35,160 |
| Lubbock | 830 | $16.00 | $2,770 | $33,270 |
| College Station-Bryan | 750 | $16.64 | $2,880 | $34,610 |
| Killeen-Temple | 730 | $17.06 | $2,960 | $35,490 |
| Tyler | 720 | $16.52 | $2,860 | $34,360 |
| Amarillo | 550 | $16.05 | $2,780 | $33,390 |
| Waco | 530 | $16.63 | $2,880 | $34,590 |
| Laredo | 500 | $14.24 | $2,470 | $29,610 |
| Abilene | 450 | $16.50 | $2,860 | $34,330 |
| Midland | 450 | $18.20 | $3,160 | $37,860 |
| Longview | 440 | $16.23 | $2,810 | $33,750 |
| Wichita Falls | 350 | $15.83 | $2,740 | $32,920 |
| Odessa | 270 | $17.45 | $3,030 | $36,300 |
| Sherman-Denison | 260 | $17.24 | $2,990 | $35,850 |
| San Angelo | 230 | $15.91 | $2,760 | $33,090 |
| Texarkana | 210 | $15.62 | $2,710 | $32,490 |
| Victoria | 140 | $16.20 | $2,810 | $33,690 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) | ||||
Useful Medical Assistant Organizations & Associations in Texas
Texas Society of Medical Assistants
The Texas Society of Medical Assistants offers access to continuing education credits and other helpful resources for the state of Texas’ medical assistants. You can find employment opportunities, apply for scholarships and sponsorships, look for upcoming events, and find various forms of support via their website. The not-for-profit organization seeks to unify medical assistants across the state and create stringent standards for practice, which not only helps medical assistants feel more secure in their careers, but also helps to ensure better patient outcomes.
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
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