Medical Assistant Jobs in San Jose, CA
Medical assistants in San Jose earn a metro median near $30 an hour, and the hiring is spread across Stanford's South Bay clinics, occupational health on Monterey Rd and community health centers that want bilingual staff. Here are the current openings, followed by who hires, what it pays and how to get trained.
Current medical assistant Openings in San Jose, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Medical Assistant Work in San Jose
San Jose medical assistants work in outpatient care: specialty and primary care clinics, urgent and occupational health centers, and community clinics. Stanford Health Care staffs medical assistants in its San Jose oncology and specialty clinics, Concentra runs an occupational health center on Monterey Rd south of downtown, and the community health centers on E Virginia St and Meridian Ave, Gardner Health Services and the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley, hire MAs who speak Spanish as well as English.
Because California does not let medical assistants work inpatient at a general acute care hospital, MA jobs here sit in clinics rather than on hospital floors. Pay tracks Silicon Valley's cost of living, and California's health care worker minimum wage puts large health systems at $25 an hour from July 1, 2026, which lifts the floor at the biggest clinic networks.
Top San Jose Employers for Medical Assistants
These San Jose employers hire medical assistants for clinic and outpatient work:
- Stanford Health Care - hires medical assistants and patient care coordinators for its San Jose oncology clinic and its University HealthCare Alliance practices, from entry level to MA III.
- Concentra - the occupational health and urgent care provider staffs full-time, per diem and PRN medical assistants at its Monterey Rd center.
- Gardner Health Services - the community health center network hires certified, bilingual English and Spanish medical assistants for its San Jose clinics.
- Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - the Meridian Ave health center hires certified medical assistants, including bilingual roles in its pharmacy.
Medical Assistant Salaries in San Jose
- Entry level: about $22 to $28 per hour for new MAs, with community clinics at the lower end.
- Experienced: roughly $28 to $34 per hour for MAs with a few years in specialty or occupational health.
- Senior: $34 to $39 per hour for lead and MA III roles that train staff and run clinic systems.
These are estimates built from federal wage data for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro (a 2025 median of $29.78 an hour) and recent San Jose postings, which ranged from $21.67 at a community clinic to $39.38 at the top of a Stanford MA III scale. Certification, specialty clinic experience, a second language and the size of the employer move pay most.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in San Jose
California does not license medical assistants. The Medical Board of California sets what they may do: MAs work under a physician, podiatrist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner or nurse midwife who is on site, and must complete minimum training before giving injections, doing skin tests or drawing blood. Certification is optional by law but preferred by most employers, from boards such as the California Certifying Board of Medical Assistants, American Medical Technologists or the American Association of Medical Assistants. Locally, San Jose City College offers a Medical Assisting associate degree and clinical, administrative and combined certificates that prepare students for the CCMA, RMA and NCCT exams.
What the Job Involves
Medical assistants room patients, take vital signs and histories, update the electronic health record, prepare exam rooms and assist the provider during exams and procedures. Clinical MAs give injections, run EKGs and collect lab specimens under supervision, while front office work covers scheduling, check-in, referrals and insurance. In occupational health you may also do drug screens and work-injury intake.
Skills Employers Look For
- MA certificate or diploma from an approved program
- Current AHA BLS for healthcare providers
- Vital signs, injections and specimen collection
- Electronic health record and scheduling software
- Bilingual English and Spanish, required at many community clinics
- Calm, organized patient flow in a busy clinic
Career Path and Advancement
San Jose MAs often start at a community clinic or urgent care, then move into specialty practices where Stanford Health Care's ladder runs from MA I to MA III, with lead roles that train new staff. Others use the clinic years to move into nursing through the CNA and LVN programs at Mission College and Evergreen Valley College, or into front office and coding work.
Related Careers in San Jose
If medical assisting interests you, these San Jose guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a medical assistant in California?
No. California does not license medical assistants, and the Medical Board of California says they can work without certification. You do need the minimum training set by regulation before giving injections or drawing blood, and most San Jose employers prefer a certificate from an approved program.
How much do medical assistants make in San Jose?
The 2025 federal median for the San Jose metro was $29.78 an hour, with the bottom tenth near $24 and the top tenth above $38. Recent San Jose postings have ranged from about $22 to $39 an hour depending on the employer and level.
Can medical assistants work in San Jose hospitals?
Not on inpatient floors. Medical Board rules bar MAs from inpatient care at a licensed general acute care hospital, so San Jose MA jobs are in clinics, urgent care, occupational health and outpatient specialty practices.
Where can I train as a medical assistant in San Jose?
San Jose City College offers a Medical Assisting associate degree and clinical, administrative and combined certificates, with spring, summer and fall starts and part-time or full-time study. Graduates can sit the CCMA, RMA or NCCT certification exams.
Is Spanish required for medical assistant jobs in San Jose?
Not everywhere, but community health centers such as Gardner Health Services and the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley list bilingual English and Spanish as a requirement for many MA roles. A second language is a real advantage across the city.
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