Updated December 2023
Medical office assistants (MOAs) handle the administrative functions that keep healthcare facilities operating effectively. By carrying out a range of clerical and clinical tasks, MOAs provide the kind of essential support that helps ensure patients get quality care.
Thinking about a career as an MOA? Wondering how much you could earn in this field?
Medical office assistant salaries can vary depending on where you live, how much experience you have, and what type of facility you work in.
We reviewed government labour market data along with current job postings to get a true sense of MOA pay in Canada.
Check out the latest salary info for medical office assistants and see how you can begin a career in this field.
overview of MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT SALARIES
According to the Government of Canada Job Bank, medical office assistants in Canada have a median salary of about $47,000.
But salaries vary depending on which part of the country you live in. Below are the regions with the highest median wages:
- Alberta: $58,000
- Yukon: $53,000
- Prince Edward Island: $50,000
- Saskatchewan: $48,000
- New Brunswick: $48,000
Keep in mind that those are median salaries, meaning half the people in this career make more than that and half make less.
Across Canada, the most skilled and experienced medical office assistants make around $63,000.
HOW MUCH DO MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANTS MAKE IN DIFFERENT ROLES?
MOAs have a number of career options. They can work in hospitals, public clinics, and private clinics. They can also take on roles as unit clerks in hospitals and other large facilities.
Typically, unit clerks focus on clerical tasks like registering patients, scheduling tests and appointments, updating charts, and managing supply inventory.
An MOA role can be very similar, but it might also include clinical responsibilities like measuring vital signs and helping during minor medical procedures.
(Learn more about the differences between an MOA and a unit clerk.)
To really drill down into medical office assistant salaries, we looked at actual job postings for different kinds of MOA positions across Canada.
Here’s what we found:
☑️ Unit clerks make between $42,000 and $57,000.
☑️ MOAs in non-hospital settings (doctors’ offices, walk-in clinics, dental offices, physiotherapy clinics, etc.) make anywhere from $35,000 to $48,000.
☑️ MOAs in hospitals earn between $46,000 and $54,000.Bottom line: MOA salaries are generally higher in hospitals than they are in other types of medical offices. But there’s room for significant growth in any healthcare setting.
WHAT’S THE JOB OUTLOOK FOR MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANTS?
The Job Bank says demand for medical office assistants will be good or very good in most regions of Canada through 2025. Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Quebec have the strongest outlooks.
The Ontario government estimates that MOA employment throughout the province will grow by almost 13 per cent between 2023 and 2027. That means up to 4,000 medical office assistant jobs could become available in Ontario alone over that time frame.
Here at Herzing, we've seen rising demand for MOAs, as career services specialist Caroline Glowatski points out.
“We have probably three employers a week contacting us directly, not through Indeed or anything,” she says. “They’re contacting us saying, hey, do you have an MOA student or grad for me? And we hate turning these people down because they’re good employers. But there just aren’t enough grads to meet the demand.”
HOW DO YOU BECOME A MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT?
A college diploma is typically required. Medical office administration programs are widely available across Canada and generally take about a year to complete.
A good MOA program teaches you how to:
☑️ Use MS Office applications as well as medical office scheduling and billing software
☑️ Understand and use medical terminology
☑️ Greet patients and book appointments
☑️ Create and maintain patient charts, records, and reports
☑️ Transcribe doctors’ audio recordings
☑️ Take vital signs
☑️ Assist during basic procedures like eye assessments and wound disinfections
☑️ Administer first aid and CPR
These are the administrative and clinical skills you need to get hired as a medical office assistant.
Get your moa career started
If an MOA career appeals to you, begin by exploring the medical office administration diploma program from Herzing College. The training takes no more than a year to complete and includes an internship for real-world experience.
Students get thorough training in healthcare software, medical office procedures, and clinical support.
Still have questions? We recommend talking to admissions. An advisor can take you through class schedules, start dates, application procedures, costs, financial aid, and more.
Click below to explore the MOA program and chat live with an advisor. We’re here to help!
