Medical Assistant Schools & Salaries in North Dakota

In North Dakota, medical assistants are considered technicians who provide medical support services while under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse.
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Updated June 27, 2023

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Programs, Certifications & Job Growth in the State

Medical assisting jobs in North Dakota are on the rise. According to Projections Central, medical assistants can expect employment growth of 23.2 percent in the state from 2012 to 2022, with 20 new openings each year. Medical assistants are in demand in virtually every corner of the healthcare industry, but are most commonly found in offices of physicians, where they work directly with patients. Most medical assistants choose to specialize in either "front office," which means more administrative tasks, or "back office," which focuses more on direct patient contact.

Read on to learn more about medical assistant training, education and certification requirements in North Dakota.

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Top College for Medical Assisting in North Dakota

OUR METHODOLOGY +

To be considered for this ranking, schools were required to meet the following criteria: Accredited at the institutional level Private nonprofit or public school Minimum of 1 associate degree or certificate program in medical assisting Schools were then scored on factors such as: Cost & Financial Aid Number and variety of program offerings Student-teacher ratios Placement and support services offered Academic/Career counseling services Employment services Loan default rates These factors were assembled for each school and rated using a peer-based-value (PBV) calculation. PBV compares the cost of a program to the cost of other programs with the same (or similar) qualitative score and cost. PBV denotes the overall value or "bang for your buck" of a college or degree program.

Working in medical assisting is a great way to help others and get your foot in the door of the health care industry. With a degree or certificate in the field, you'll work directly with patient by assisting with exams and administering medications. But before you choose a medical assisting program, it's a good idea to do some research because all programs are not the same. We've done some research for you, taking a look at factors like availability of career and counseling services, program duration, class sizes and tuition rates. Check out the top school with a medical assisting program for 2017 below.

  1. Dakota College at Bottineau
    Location

    Bottineau, ND

    While completing classes within Dakota College at Bottineau's Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting or the medical assisting diploma program, students learn the practical side of assisting physicians, nurses and technicians by working with mannequins. Students also learn by practicing certain techniques and procedures on classmates. Through the college's articulation agreements, students could transfer their credits into four year programs. The diploma is a one year program. Graduates of the diploma program can take the national medical assistant certification examination. Graduates of the two year associate's degree program can sit for the registered medical assistant examination.

North Dakota Medical Assisting Training & Certifications

How does North Dakota define "medical assistant"?

In North Dakota, medical assistants are considered technicians who provide medical support services while under the direct supervision of a licensed nurse. Their work might range from checking vital signs to handling patient paperwork. Those who will be administering medication must register as a Medication Assistant III with the North Dakota Board of Nursing.

Is certification required?

Certification is not required in the state of North Dakota. However, if a student cannot prove that they have completed an approved medical assisting program, certification is considered enough evidence of competency. Those who intend to become a Medication Assistant III will need to undergo formal registration.

Is certification available?

All technicians in the state of North Dakota can obtain registration by proving that they have completed an approved training program, or by earning one of these certifications:

  • Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)
  • Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
  • Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
  • National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)

Is formal education and/or training required?

In order to register as a technician, medical assistants must either complete a training program or earn a certification. However, those who want to become a Medication Assistant III must complete the following:

  • Proof of certification as a medical assistant
  • Official transcript from successful completion of a medical assisting program
  • OR Proof of completion of a nursing education program that includes at least one course in medication administration

Are there additional requirements?

5. Are there additional requirements?

  • Meet the required standards to gain recertification as a CMA, RMA, CCMA, or NCMA
  • OR provide evidence of the clinical practice hours in a nursing education program taken over the last two years

Are there tasks outside the scope of medical assistants in North Dakota?

Medical assistants in North Dakota can handle most basic tasks in the offices of physicians, but they are carefully limited in the types of drugs they can administer. Those who have earned the Medication Assistant III designation cannot do the following:

  • Administer medication by central lines
  • Administer medication by intravenous line or intravenous lock
  • Administer medications by catheter
  • Administer medications by colostomy
  • Provide barium or other diagnostic contrast media to patients
  • Administer chemotherapy agents (except oral maintenance chemotherapy)
  • Inject medication through medication pumps, nor assume responsibility for any medication pumps, including patient-controlled analgesia

Medical Assistant Salaries in North Dakota

Those who work as medical assistants in North Dakota will be pleased to know they might see higher wages than the national average. Below is a comparison of wages, based on 2014 numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 Annual Wage
25th percentile
Annual Wage
Median
Annual Wage
75th percentile
Hourly Wage
Median
North Dakota$27,270$31,670$36,550$15.23
National$25,500$29,960$36,070$14.41

Source: BLS, 2014

City and Metropolitan Area Salaries, North Dakota

The salaries for medical assistants can vary within the state, depending upon the geographical region. Here is what medical assistants can expect from work in various parts of the state.

AreaAnnual Wage
25th percentile
Annual Wage
Median
Annual Wage
75th percentile
Hourly Wage
Median
Bismark, ND$30,180$34,000$37,400$16.34
Fargo ND-MN$26,230$29,840$35,860$14.35
Grand Forks ND-MN$26,910$30,450$37,550$14.64
Far Western North Dakota Metropolitan Area$31,580$34,090$36,600$16.39
West Central North Dakota Metropolitan Area$26,550$30,080$34,340$14.46
East Central North Dakota Metropolitan Area$27,040$32,200$38,490$15.48

Source: BLS, 2014

North Dakota Medical Assisting Employments Trends

Employment in most healthcare professions is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years. Here are the details of double-digit growth in North Dakota through 2022.

Medical Assistant Estimated Employment Growth 2012-2022

 Average Annual
Openings
Current
Employment
Projected
Employment 2022
Jobs
Added
Growth
Rate
North Dakota2042052010023.2%
National26,990560,800723,700162,90029%

*Source: Projections Central, 2012-2022

North Dakota Medical Assistant Resources

American Association of Medical Assistants

This national organization offers state chapters; North Dakota has three. The site offers a great deal of information on how to become a certified medical assistant.

Center for Rural Health: Utilization of Medication Assistants in North Dakota

This PDF report offers a wealth of information on what medical assistants do in North Dakota, as well as some problems that might be faced by those in the profession.

North Dakota Board of Nursing

This site offers definitive information and applications for those in many areas of healthcare, including medical assistants (known as technicians in North Dakota) and Medication Assistant III.

North Dakota Statutes

This comprehensive statute provides in-depth legal information for those who want to work as a medical assistant in the state of North Dakota.

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