Medical Assistant Jobs and Programs in New Jersey – Schools, Salary, and License Info

How to Become a Medical Assistant in New Jersey

The profession of Medical Assisting has spread throughout the entire US states.

New Jersey is just one of these states.

The number of medical assistants in 2013 was 14,240.

This report was given back then from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The average annual salary in the state per medical assistant was much higher than the national average in the field.

To see it with our own eyes, let’s take a stance at the numbers.

Medical assistants working in different parts of New Jersey earned salaries even higher than the state average:

• Those working in the Trenton-Ewing area earned $34,420 yearly
• Those working in the White Plains, NY-Wayne, NJ metropolitan area averaged $34,060 per year
• Those working in the Newark, NJ-Union, PA area earned an average annual salary of $33,510 annually

To become a highly qualified medical assistant in New Jersey, consider the steps shown in this guide:

• Complete a Medical Assistant Education Program
• Pass a Certification Examination
• Pursue a Medical Assistant Job in New Jersey
• Maintain Your Medical Assistant Credential

Step 1. Complete a Medical Assistant Education Program

Completing a medical assistant program is crucial to certify in the state as one.

The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners has set this requirement upon each prospective candidate to do so, though it does not require secondary education.

As far as certification is concerned, national certification is necessary for the field.

Medical assistants can receive this certification through the organizations recognized by the Jersey Board of Medical Examiners.

Precisely, graduation from one of these is a must:

• Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP):

o Programs are located in:
 Phillipsburg
 Newton
 Branchburg
 Trenton
 Clifton
 Paramus
o Programs lead to:
 Medical Assistant Certificate
 Medical Assistant Diploma
 Associate of Science- Medical Assistant
 Associate in Applied Science- Medical Assisting
 Associate in Applied Science – Health Science
• Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)

o Programs are located in:

 Wayne
 Morristown
 Iselin
 Lawrenceville
 South Plainfield
 Ocean Township
 Egg Harbor Township
 Voorhees
 North Brunswick
o Programs lead to:
 Medical Assistant Certificate
 Medical Assistant Diploma

Your medical assistant education must be at least 600 clock hours total.

Courses that are found in medical assistant education programs in New Jersey should include titles such as:

• Mathematics
• Science
• Microbiology
• Introductory Chemistry
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Pathology
• Pharmacology and Medication Administration
• Health Care Law and Ethics
• Therapeutic Communications
• Computerized Office Procedures
• Insurance, Coding and Managed Care
• Clinical Assisting

Apart from certification, practice is also important for a medical assistant.

It is a proof of his knowledge turning into actions.

At this time, the candidate will be able to practice his or her knowledge and skills in a real-life setting.

Precisely, work in medical facilities that collaborate hand in hand with schools that offer medical assisting programs in the state.

Eventually, the candidate needs to prove and perform all those skills learned back in the program.

Depending on the quality of the performance, the candidate will be graded.

For grading, a hand-on supervisor will be in charge, or any other licensed healthcare practitioner, as well as a representative from the school.

Step 2. Pass a Certification Examination

Step by step, and here we come to national certification.

It is not actually a must for medical assistants of New Jersey, but it is recommended that a candidate gets it as a credential.

In the state, you can take national certification through these organizations:

• American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) – Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
• National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)- National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)
• American Medical Technologists (AMT)- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
This certification can be secured by taking an exam previously. Future CMAs need to sit and pass the CMA Certification and Recertification Exam. This exam is offered in Prometric centers throughout New Jersey. The following ones are the most common to sit for the exam in:
• Laurel Spring
• Hamilton
• Clark
• Fairlawn

NCMA is also another credential that must be attained through sitting and passing an exam.

The exam is offered at NCCT testing sites.

These sites are found in schools.

Just in case, you can ask the medical assistant education director if you’re not sure if there is a test site in the school or not.

Prospective RMAs must pass the RMA Exam.

The exam is administered at Pearson Vue testing centers in:

• Princeton
• Lincroft
• Somerset
• Edison

Step 3. Pursue a Medical Assistant Job in New Jersey

After being done with your entire medical assisting education, you deserve a suitable job in the field.

But you need to look for one prior.

You will be able to get one first through the career of the college you’ve studied and graduated in and through a counseling office.

Anyway, jobs for medical assistants can be found anywhere in New Jersey’s medical settings.

Employers that support many of the medical assistant jobs in New Jersey include:

• Newark Beth Israel Hospital – Newark
• Patient First – Woodbury
• Healthy Woman OBGYN – Freehold
• Kennedy Health System- Voorhees
• Atlantic Health System – Morristown
• Catholic Health Initiatives – Denville
• Essex Diagnostic Group – Point Pleasant Beach
• Barnabas Health – Livingston
• Department of Veterans Affairs – East Orange
• Lourdes Health System – Woodbury
• Fresenius Medical Care- Princeton

Step 4. Maintain Your Medical Assistant Credential

There’s nothing more fulfilling when our efforts do not go in vain, and when our work is rewarded.

The best reward for education is growing in terms of social, mental and financial aspects.

So far, having a job is a success of education as well. But earning a degree or credential and maintain them requires dedication and work.

The CMA credential expires every five years.

During the time you get there, a retake is necessary for the certification and recertification exam.

Or else, you need to make an addition of 60 continuing education units (CEUs).

Half of the units must be approved by the organization that has recognized the credential in the first place.

This organization is AAMA.

The other credential which is NCMA expires every year.

In order to maintain it, pursuing online continuing education courses is a must.

A fee is also required upon renewal.

The RMA credential, on the other hand, expires annually.

For renewal, 30 certification points are required every three years.

They have to be completed through AMT Certification Continuation Program (CCP)

Professional Organizations for Medical Assistants in New Jersey

New Jersey Society of Medical Assistants is one of the professional organizations to consider when it comes to networking in medical assisting.

The aim of this organization is to support the skills, knowledge, and professionalism of medical assistants in the state.

RMAs in New Jersey might want to join the New Jersey State Society of AMT.

The purpose of this association is to protect the rights of and further the professionalism of registered medical assistants in New Jersey.

The Best Medical Assistant Schools in New Jersey

New Jersey is a place you can turn to for a medical assisting education.

The state has more than 30 schools in its areas.

In them, you will be able to attend different types of degrees.

Thus, you can get a diploma, certificate or associate degree.

All of these will be at different lengths.

But all of them will help you practice the profession of a medical assistant honorably.

Medical Assistant Salaries in New Jersey

Medical assisting salaries are in proportion to your previous qualifications in the field.

The more qualified you are, the better the salary you will get.

Some factors that determine Medical assisting salary in New Jersey are to be considered.

These are place, education, skills, and work experience.

Regional Salary in New Jersey

Medical Assisting by State