Medical Assistant Jobs in Seattle, WA

Medical assistant is one of the most-posted frontline jobs in Seattle, and the metro median was $29.57 an hour in the latest federal wage data. Here are the current openings, followed by the clinics hiring from Northgate to Rainier Valley, what they pay and how to get your Washington credential.

Current medical assistant Openings in Seattle, WA

Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.

Medical Assistant Work in Seattle

Seattle's medical assistants work mostly in outpatient clinics, and the city has a lot of them. Kaiser Permanente Washington staffs primary care at its Capitol Hill campus, Northgate Medical Center and Rainier Valley clinic. Virginia Mason runs adult primary care on First Hill, and the community health centers, ICHS in the Chinatown-International District and Neighborcare Health across the city, hire MAs for multilingual primary care. The Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council lists medical assistant among the most-posted jobs in the county in 2026, even while tech layoffs hit the information sector.

Washington credentials medical assistants at the state level, so the job here comes with a credential from the Department of Health on top of a national exam. Postings in Seattle spell out which credential they accept and by when, and Washington's pay transparency law means they show the pay range too.

Top Seattle Employers Hiring Medical Assistants

These Seattle employers have posted medical assistant roles on their own careers sites:

• Kaiser Permanente Washington - hires primary care MAs at Northgate Medical Center, Rainier Valley and the Capitol Hill Family Health Center, full-time and per diem.
• Virginia Mason Franciscan Health - Virginia Mason Medical Center on First Hill hires MA-Cs for its adult primary care clinic.
• International Community Health Services (ICHS) - the community health center hires full-time and on-call MAs for its Seattle, Bellevue and Shoreline clinics.
• Neighborcare Health - the Seattle community health network hires certified medical assistants at multiple Seattle locations.

Medical Assistant Salaries in Seattle

• Entry level: about $24 to $28 an hour for newly credentialed MAs.
• Experienced: roughly $29 to $34 an hour, close to the metro median.
• Senior: $35 to $41 an hour at the top of large health-system scales.

These are estimates from federal May 2025 wage data for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro, where the 10th to 90th percentile ran from about $48,000 to $76,000 a year, checked against 2026 Seattle postings: Kaiser's Northgate MA range ran $27.71 to $41.24 an hour and Virginia Mason's primary care range $26.45 to $34.68. Health systems with union step scales pay the most over time, while community health centers often add sign-on bonuses and value a second language.

How to Become a Medical Assistant in Seattle

To work as a Medical Assistant-Certified in Washington you need a credential from the Washington State Department of Health. That requires finishing an MA program and passing one of the national exams the state accepts, such as the AAMA CMA, AMT RMA or NHA CCMA. An interim credential lets new graduates start while they test; Kaiser accepts an interim or full credential at hire and wants the MA-C within 12 months, and Virginia Mason asks for it within 6 months. Locally, Seattle Central College offers a 48-credit Medical Assisting certificate, about three quarters full-time, with labs at its Health Education Center on Beacon Hill and a 160-hour clinic externship; it is CAAHEP-accredited and admits 24 students each fall and spring.

What the Job Involves

Medical assistants keep a clinic's schedule moving. You room patients, take vital signs and histories, update medication lists, give injections and vaccines within your credential, collect specimens, prepare exam rooms and assist with procedures. On the administrative side you handle check-in, refills, prior authorizations and messages in the electronic health record so the provider can stay with patients.

Skills Employers Look For

• Washington MA-C credential or an interim credential
• Current AHA BLS certification
• Vital signs, injections and specimen collection
• Epic or another electronic health record
• Patient scheduling and phone triage support
• A second language, valued at community health centers
• Calm customer service in a busy primary care clinic

Career Path and Advancement

Many Seattle MAs move up to lead MA or clinic coordinator inside the same health system, or move into the specialty clinics clustered on First Hill. Others use the job as a path into nursing through the Seattle Colleges and Shoreline Community College nursing programs, or into practice management.

Related Careers in Seattle

If medical assisting interests you, these Seattle roles are close matches:

• Certified Nursing Assistant Jobs
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs
• Registered Nurse Jobs
• Healthcare Jobs

Frequently Asked Questions

Do medical assistants need a license in Washington?

Yes. Washington credentials medical assistants through the Department of Health. The Medical Assistant-Certified credential requires an MA program and a passing score on an approved national exam such as the CMA, RMA or CCMA.

How much do medical assistants make in Seattle?

The Seattle metro median was $29.57 an hour in federal May 2025 data. Seattle postings in 2026 have ranged from about $26 an hour at the start of clinic scales to just over $41 at the top of Kaiser's range.

Can I start working before I pass the certification exam?

Often, yes. Washington has an interim credential for new graduates, and large Seattle employers accept it at hire as long as you earn the full MA-C within their deadline, 12 months at Kaiser and 6 months at Virginia Mason.

How long does medical assistant school take in Seattle?

Seattle Central College's Medical Assisting certificate takes about three quarters full-time, including an 11-week, 160-hour externship in the final quarter. There is no part-time option, and cohorts start each fall and spring.

Which Seattle clinics hire the most medical assistants?

Kaiser Permanente Washington posts the most visible MA openings, across Northgate, Rainier Valley and Capitol Hill. Virginia Mason on First Hill and community health centers such as ICHS and Neighborcare Health hire steadily too.

Ready to apply? Browse all Medical Assistant jobs in Seattle, WA on LocalJobPage and apply today.