Medical Assistant Jobs in Albuquerque, NM
Medical assistants keep Albuquerque's clinics moving, from Presbyterian Medical Group offices in the Northeast Heights to First Choice health centers in the South Valley. Presbyterian's posted scale for the role runs from about $18 to $30 an hour. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring and how to train.
Current medical assistant Openings in Albuquerque, NM
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Medical Assistant Work in Albuquerque
Almost all medical assistant hiring in Albuquerque runs through a handful of health systems and their outpatient networks. Presbyterian Healthcare Services staffs its Downtown hospital on Central Avenue, Kaseman Hospital in the Northeast Heights and Rust Medical Center on Unser Boulevard in Rio Rancho, plus more than 20 Presbyterian Medical Group clinics around the city. Lovelace Health System runs Lovelace Medical Group practices alongside its hospitals Downtown, on the Westside and near Montgomery Boulevard, and UNM Health hires certified medical assistants at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho.
The community health centers matter here too. First Choice Community Healthcare runs federally qualified health centers in the South Valley, on South Broadway, on Alameda in the North Valley, and out in Los Lunas and Edgewood, so there is clinic work on both sides of the river and well beyond the Big I. Bilingual English and Spanish skills are a real advantage at front-line clinics across the metro.
Top Albuquerque Employers Hiring Medical Assistants
These Albuquerque employers list medical assistant roles on their own careers sites:
- Presbyterian Healthcare Services - the health system behind Presbyterian Medical Group hires medical assistants for Presbyterian Medical Group clinics and its Albuquerque and Rio Rancho hospitals.
- Lovelace Health System - the Ardent Health system recruits medical assistants for Lovelace Medical Group practices across the metro.
- UNM Health - the academic system hires certified medical assistants, including at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho.
- First Choice Community Healthcare - the community health center network hires medical assistants for its South Valley, South Broadway, Alameda, Los Lunas and Edgewood sites.
Medical Assistant Salaries in Albuquerque
- Entry level: about $16 to $18 per hour for new graduates and uncertified assistants.
- Experienced: roughly $18 to $22 per hour for certified assistants with a few years in a clinic.
- Senior / lead: about $22 to $28 per hour or more for lead and specialty clinic assistants at the large health systems.
These are estimates. Presbyterian posts a medical assistant scale of $18.33 to $30.24 an hour, while salary surveys put the typical Albuquerque medical assistant in the high teens. National certification, specialty clinics such as oncology or urology, and years with one system move pay up the scale, and the health systems add benefits that smaller private practices often do not match.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Albuquerque
New Mexico does not license medical assistants. They work as unlicensed staff under a supervising physician, and New Mexico Medical Board rules (16.10.13 NMAC) limit what can be delegated to them, so cosmetic injections, for example, stay with licensed providers. Many employers prefer national certification, such as the CMA (AAMA), RMA (AMT) or CCMA (NHA). Locally, Central New Mexico Community College offers a CAAHEP-accredited Medical Assistant certificate through its School of Nursing and Patient Support, with labs at CNM Rio Rancho and UNM Health Sciences Rio Rancho, finished in about two terms full time. Pima Medical Institute runs a roughly nine-month Medical Assistant program at its campus on Cutler Avenue NE, just off I-40 at San Mateo.
What the Job Involves
Medical assistants room patients, take vital signs and histories, update the electronic health record, prepare exam rooms and assist providers during procedures. Depending on the clinic and the provider's delegation, they may collect specimens, give injections, perform EKGs, handle prescription refill requests and manage the provider's in-basket messages. Many also schedule follow-ups, check patients in and out, and call patients with results or instructions.
Skills Employers Look For
- National certification (CMA, RMA or CCMA) and current BLS
- Accurate vital signs, rooming and patient intake
- Electronic health record experience
- Injections, specimen collection and EKG skills
- Clear communication, with Spanish a strong plus
- Organization in a fast clinic schedule
Career Path and Advancement
Many Albuquerque medical assistants start in a primary care or urgent care clinic, then move into specialty clinics or lead medical assistant roles that train new hires and run clinic flow. Others use the job as a step into nursing: CNM's Practical Nursing and Associate of Applied Science in Nursing programs, and the UNM College of Nursing BSN, all feed the same health systems. Medical assistants also move into practice coordination, phlebotomy or medical billing and coding as the clinics grow.
Related Careers in Albuquerque
If medical assisting interests you, these related Albuquerque roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical assistant in New Mexico?
No. New Mexico does not license or register medical assistants, and they work under a supervising physician's delegation. Many Albuquerque employers prefer national certification such as the CMA, RMA or CCMA.
How much do medical assistants make in Albuquerque?
Most start around $16 to $18 an hour, and certified assistants with experience earn roughly $18 to $22. Presbyterian's posted scale runs from $18.33 to $30.24 an hour, so lead and specialty roles at the big systems can pay well into the $20s.
How long does medical assistant training take in Albuquerque?
CNM's Medical Assistant certificate can be finished in about two terms of full-time study, and Pima Medical Institute's Albuquerque program runs about nine months. Both prepare you for a national certification exam.
Do Albuquerque clinics want bilingual medical assistants?
Spanish is a real advantage at front-line clinics, especially community health centers such as First Choice in the South Valley and on South Broadway. It is not a licensing requirement, but it can set your application apart.
Can a medical assistant job lead to nursing in Albuquerque?
Yes. Many medical assistants work while taking prerequisites, then move into CNM's Practical Nursing or AAS in Nursing programs or the UNM College of Nursing BSN. The clinic experience helps with both admission and the first nursing job.
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