Survey finds it's getting harder to hire medical assistants, in Colorado and across the country

Medical assistants are some of the first faces you see when visiting the doctor, but a new survey finds it's getting harder to hire for those positions.

The Medical Group Management Association, MGMA, recently released its 2026 Management and Staff Compensation Data Report. According to MGMA polling, 56% of practices said MA hiring became more difficult over the past year, compared with 37% reporting no change and only 7% saying it got easier. And while compensation has increased 20.6% in five years, Indeed shows the average medical assistant in Denver is making $23 an hour.

"What's interesting is that it's just barely keeping up with inflation," said Andrew Swanson, Chief Customer Success Officer for MGMA. "These are mid-level paid positions that are super hard to recruit and retain, so for our medical groups it's really tough to keep these people. They're in high demand and they're very integral to the care we provide."

That care often includes taking a patient's medical history, checking vital signs and updating medical records.

"Medical assistants are the warm, friendly, engaging person you can connect with at a doctor's office," Swanson said.

And in a world quickly shifting to technology and automation, Jessica Anderson, Associate Dean of Clinical & Community Affairs at CU Anschutz College of Nursing, says it's important to prioritize a job with human connection.

"When people start talking about technology, they worry is that those things start to dwindle and go away," Anderson said. "I think as we engage in this technology shift in healthcare we need to keep in mind that our care always needs to be patient centric."

And Anderson says because medical assistants are in high demand, employers often offer perks to hire and retain them.

"Some institutions and clinics have identified ways to bring people on and support them in promotional pathways," Anderson said. "It's supporting people to go on and become a nurse or to promote within their roles."