Medical Assisting - Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement

Cost: $3,215
Length: 51 weeks
Working 6 months later: 100%

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: 15

Small group — treat with caution

Finished the program: Not reported
Working 6 months later: 100%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: $3,184A 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 job 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.

No regional figures for this program's city

Aptos 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.

Program details

This program provides in-person instruction only.

The Medical Assisting Certificate of Achievement prepares students for a career as a medical assistant in medical offices, clinics, or other related medical fields. The medical assistant is the first face patients often see most as they play an important role in the patient experience. This program gives students the administrative skills such as greeting patients, scheduling, filling out medical records, electronic medical record keeping, and interacting with insurance companies. Students also acquire clinicals skills to obtain vital signs, take medical histories, prepare patients for examinations, assist in medical procedures, injection administration, performing laboratory diagnostic testing, basic phlebotomy, and electrocardiograms (EKG). The certificate of achievement prepares students for entry-level career opportunities in medical assistant. Opportunities are many and varied from urgent care to family practice and all medical specialties. This certificate also prepares students for the associate in science in medical assisting and the certificate of achievement in Phlebotomy Technician. Recommended preparation: CG51 may be taken prior to the beginning of the Medical Assisting program.

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

Capitola Career Center - America`s Job Center of California (AJCC)Affiliate site
Phone: 831-464-6286
2045 40th AvenueSuite BCapitola, CA 95010about 5.5 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
SCCOE - Suenos Youth Program ServicesAffiliate site
Phone: 831-466-5672
229 Green Valley RoadSequoia SchoolsFreedom, CA 95019about 6.9 miles away
Hours: Monday-Friday 9a.m.-5p.m.
Santa Cruz County, Workforce, Watsonville Career CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 831-763-8933
500 Westridge DriveCounty of Santa Cruz, South County Government CenterWatsonville, CA 95076about 7.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm Closed 12:00 noon - 1pm

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 →