Medical Assistant Jobs in Tampa, FL
Medical assistants in Tampa generally earn about $17 to $23 an hour, and the work is spread across doctor's offices, urgent cares and specialty clinics from Hyde Park to the USF area. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring, what it pays, and how to get certified.
Current medical assistant Openings in Tampa, FL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Assistant Work in Tampa
Medical assistant jobs in Tampa sit mostly in outpatient care rather than hospitals. BayCare Medical Group alone runs more than 175 outpatient locations across four Tampa Bay counties, and AdventHealth recruits medical assistants for primary care offices in Tampa, Wesley Chapel and the Pasco suburbs. Optum operates primary care clinics in neighborhoods such as Hyde Park, and Moffitt Cancer Center, next to the USF campus in North Tampa, keeps a team of medical assistants in its oncology clinics.
Because so much of the hiring is clinic-based, most Tampa MA jobs run Monday through Friday daytime hours, with evening and weekend shifts mainly at urgent care. Spanish is an asset here; Optum's Hyde Park clinic is one of several local employers that list bilingual candidates as preferred. The big groups also staff suburban offices; AdventHealth alone has practices in Riverview on Bloomingdale Avenue and in New Tampa, so the I-75 and I-275 corridors matter when you choose where to apply.
Top Tampa Employers Hiring Medical Assistants
These Tampa employers hire medical assistants for their own clinics:
- BayCare - BayCare Medical Group and BayCare Urgent Care hire medical assistants across more than 175 outpatient locations in Tampa Bay.
- AdventHealth - the health system holds medical assistant hiring events for its Tampa and Pasco primary care offices.
- Optum - the primary care group hires medical assistants for Tampa clinics including Optum Hyde Park, with bilingual candidates preferred.
- Moffitt Cancer Center - the NCI cancer center near USF employs medical assistants in its outpatient oncology clinics.
Medical Assistant Salaries in Tampa
- Entry level: about $17 to $19 per hour for new medical assistants.
- Experienced: roughly $19 to $22 per hour with certification and a few years in a practice.
- Senior / lead: $22 to $25 per hour for senior MAs, specialty clinics and bilingual roles.
These are estimates drawn from federal wage data for the Tampa metro and ranges posted by local employers; one Optum clinic in Hyde Park posted $18.25 to $25.00 an hour plus a sign-on bonus. National certification, Spanish, specialty experience and EKG or phlebotomy skills all push pay up, and larger health systems usually add full benefits.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Tampa
Florida does not license medical assistants. They work under a physician's supervision, and the title "certified medical assistant" requires a national certification, so most Tampa employers prefer or require a CCMA, CMA or RMA credential plus a BLS CPR card. Hillsborough College's Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education, based at the Dale Mabry Campus, runs a Clinical Medical Assistant course of more than 234 hours that includes one attempt at the NHA CCMA exam, with an optional 100-hour clinical. Erwin Technical College on East Hillsborough Avenue also offers a Medical Assisting program through Hillsborough County Public Schools.
What the Job Involves
Medical assistants room patients, take vital signs and histories, update the electronic record, give injections and vaccines as directed, collect specimens, run EKGs, assist providers with exams and minor procedures, and handle prescription refills, referrals and follow-up calls. In smaller offices they also cover check-in and scheduling.
Skills Employers Look For
- CCMA, CMA or RMA certification
- Current BLS CPR certification
- Vital signs, injections and specimen collection
- EKG and phlebotomy skills
- Electronic health record charting
- Spoken Spanish, preferred by some Tampa clinics
- Friendly, organized patient flow in a busy practice
Career Path and Advancement
Tampa medical assistants often move from a general practice into specialty clinics, then into senior or lead MA roles and clinic coordinator jobs at the large systems. Many use the experience to go back to school; Erwin Technical College's 15-month Practical Nursing program and Hillsborough College's nursing degree are the common next steps toward an LPN or RN license.
Related Careers in Tampa
If medical assisting interests you, these related Tampa roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do medical assistants need a license in Florida?
No. Florida has no state license for medical assistants; they work under a physician's supervision. Most Tampa employers still prefer a national credential such as the CCMA, CMA or RMA, and you may only call yourself a certified medical assistant if you hold one.
How much do medical assistants make in Tampa?
New medical assistants generally start around $17 to $19 an hour, experienced and certified MAs earn about $19 to $22, and senior or bilingual MAs in specialty clinics can reach $22 to $25. These are estimates, and employer and specialty move them.
How long does medical assistant training take in Tampa?
Hillsborough College's continuing education Clinical Medical Assistant course runs more than 234 hours of classroom, online and simulation lab work and includes one attempt at the NHA certification exam. An optional 100-hour clinical adds hands-on practice in a real office.
Do Tampa clinics want bilingual medical assistants?
Often, yes. Several Tampa postings, including Optum's Hyde Park clinic, list Spanish as preferred. Being bilingual widens the number of clinics you can apply to and can help you reach the higher end of the local pay range.
What hours do medical assistants work in Tampa?
Most doctor's office and specialty clinic jobs are weekday daytime shifts. Urgent care centers add evenings, weekends and holidays, which suits people who want extra hours or a non-traditional schedule.
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