Medical Assistant
Grossmont Adult School · El Cajon, CA
- Cost
- $800
- Length
- 18 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- 84%
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 571
- Finished the program
- 88%Based on 576 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- 84%Typical California program: 69% of 1,690 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $5,518A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.Typical California program: $10,900 of 1,339 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
No regional figures for this program's city
El Cajon is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Medical Assistants
Job ads may call this: Health Assistant · Doctor's Assistant · Ophthalmic Assistant · Optometric Assistant
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
- Typical pay in California
- $50,918per year
- Projected openings
- 175,850
- Projected change
- +22.7%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 38% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.
- No high school diploma
- 2%
- High school diploma
- 20%
- Started college, no degree
- 38%
- Two-year degree
- 24%
- Four-year degree
- 12%
- Master's degree
- 3%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 1%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job. It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.
Healthcare Support Workers, All Other
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
The Department publishes no list of daily tasks for this job. This is how it describes the work instead.
All healthcare support workers not listed separately.
- Typical pay in California
- $50,374per year
- Projected openings
- 32,750
- Projected change
- +7.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 27% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 5% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 5%
- High school diploma
- 25%
- Started college, no degree
- 27%
- Two-year degree
- 15%
- Four-year degree
- 20%
- Master's degree
- 6%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 2%
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
A program that prepares individuals under the supervision of physicians to provide medical office administrative services and perform clinical duties including patient intake and care routine diagnostic and recording procedures pre-examination and examination assistance and the administration of medications and first aid. Includes instruction in basic anatomy and physiology medical terminology medical law and ethics patient psychology and communications medical office procedures and clinical diagnostic examination testing and treatment procedures.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
East County Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 619-319-9675
151 Van Houten AvePCGEl Cajon, CA 92020about 6.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am- 5:00pm
Metro Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 619-319-9675 and 619-266-4253
4389 Imperial AvenueSan Diego, CA 92113about 14.8 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
South Bay Career CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 619-319-9675
333 H StreetSouth Bay Career Bldg. Suite 1055Chula Vista, CA 91910about 15.8 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5 :00p.m.
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →