Medical Assistant Jobs in Atlanta, GA
Medical assistants in Atlanta keep the clinics of Emory, Piedmont, Northside and Kaiser Permanente running, and certified MAs here earn a metro median near $22 an hour. Most large employers want a national certification. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get certified.
Current medical assistant Openings in Atlanta, GA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Assistant Work in Atlanta
Most Atlanta medical assistant jobs are in outpatient practices rather than hospital wards. The Emory Clinic runs practices such as Peachtree Hills, Piedmont Physicians Group has practices in Midtown, Atlantic Station and Sandy Springs, Northside staffs specialty offices around Pill Hill, including the Northside Heart Tower on Peachtree Dunwoody Road, and Kaiser Permanente runs medical offices such as Glenlake near the Perimeter. That spreads the work from Midtown to the Perimeter, so many MAs can pick a clinic close to home or to a MARTA station.
What sets Atlanta apart is how firmly the big systems ask for certification. Postings from Emory and Piedmont name the CMA, RMA, CCMA or NCMA credential as a requirement, even though Georgia itself does not license medical assistants. Certified MAs here earn a metro median near $22.15 an hour.
Top Atlanta Employers Hiring Medical Assistants
These Atlanta health systems hire medical assistants for primary care and specialty clinics:
- Emory Healthcare - The Emory Clinic hires certified medical assistants for primary care and specialty clinics, including its Peachtree Hills practice.
- Piedmont Healthcare - Piedmont Physicians Group hires certified medical assistants for practices in Midtown, Atlantic Station and Sandy Springs.
- Northside Hospital - Northside's physician practices hire medical assistants for offices around Pill Hill, including the Northside Heart Tower.
- Kaiser Permanente Georgia - Kaiser hires Medical Assistant II staff for specialty departments at its Glenlake Medical Offices.
Medical Assistant Salaries in Atlanta
- Entry level: about $17 to $20 per hour for newly certified MAs.
- Experienced: roughly $21 to $25 per hour for certified MAs with a year or more of clinic experience.
- Senior / specialty: about $26 to $28 per hour for experienced MAs in specialty, procedural or lead roles.
These are estimates built from BLS 2025 wage data for the Atlanta metro, where the middle of the market sits near $22.15 an hour, and from employer postings such as an Emory Clinic MA role with a $21.88 minimum and a $26.01 midpoint. A CMA or RMA credential, specialty clinics such as cardiology or orthopedics, bilingual skills and lead duties move pay the most.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Atlanta
Georgia does not license medical assistants. Under the Georgia Composite Medical Board's rule on medical assistants, a physician may delegate tasks such as injections, vital signs, nebulizer treatments and suture removal to an unlicensed assistant who has been properly trained, with on-site supervision for most of them. In practice, Atlanta's large employers want a national credential, the CMA from AAMA, the RMA from AMT, the CCMA from NHA or the NCMA from NCCT, plus American Heart Association BLS. Atlanta Technical College on Metropolitan Parkway in southwest Atlanta offers a Medical Assisting program that includes a 270-hour externship.
What the Job Involves
Medical assistants room patients, take vital signs and histories, update the electronic health record, give injections and vaccines under a provider's direction, collect specimens, run EKGs, prepare exam rooms and assist with minor procedures. Many also handle front-office tasks such as scheduling, prior authorizations, refill requests and patient calls, especially in smaller practices.
Skills Employers Look For
- CMA, RMA, CCMA or NCMA certification
- American Heart Association BLS certification
- Vital signs, injections and specimen collection
- Epic or another electronic health record
- Rooming patients quickly and keeping a clinic on schedule
- Clear, friendly communication with patients and providers
- Spanish or another second language for bilingual roles
Career Path and Advancement
Atlanta MAs often start in primary care, then move to higher-paying specialty clinics, procedural roles or lead MA and coordinator jobs that train newer staff. Others use the clinic as a springboard to nursing, starting a practical nursing or associate degree program at a school such as Atlanta Technical College, or move into practice management. A national certification and experience in Epic make any of those moves easier.
Related Careers in Atlanta
If medical assisting interests you, these related Atlanta roles are close matches:
- Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs
- Medical Receptionist Jobs
- Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs
- Healthcare Jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical assistant in Georgia?
No. Georgia does not license medical assistants; the Georgia Composite Medical Board treats them as unlicensed staff working under a physician's delegation. Most large Atlanta employers still require a national certification such as the CMA, RMA, CCMA or NCMA.
How much do medical assistants make in Atlanta?
BLS 2025 data puts the Atlanta metro median near $22.15 an hour, with the bottom tenth near $17.47 and the top tenth above $28. Certified MAs in specialty clinics tend to earn toward the top of that range.
Which certification do Atlanta employers accept?
Emory accepts the CMA, RMA, CCMA or NCMA and prefers the CMA or RMA. Piedmont asks for the CMA from AAMA, a similar recognized credential, or the NCMA. Check each posting, since requirements vary by clinic.
Can medical assistants give injections in Georgia?
Yes, when a physician delegates it. The Georgia Composite Medical Board rule allows trained medical assistants to give subcutaneous and intramuscular injections with a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice nurse on site.
What schedule do Atlanta medical assistants work?
Most clinic MA jobs are full-time weekday day shifts, often around 40 hours a week, because outpatient practices close in the evening. Some clinics also post PRN roles for MAs who want flexible hours.
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