Medical Assistants
In short: today's best AI models could do about 29% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 71% of the time, stays with people.
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
817,870 people do this job in the US. $45,690 a year.
Reviewed on September 30, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on1 h
- A person checks AI's work11 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people28 h
Medical Assistants, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 1 hours, 11 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 28 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Record history and results in medical records (about 3 h, a person checks); Keep financial records and send statements (about 3 h, a person checks); Do general office duties (about 2 h, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 2%
- 28%
- 8%
- 17%
- 45%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 29% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 7%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 28%. Today's estimate: 29%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, 0.074% went to this job's tasks in May 2026, the 197th largest of the 447 jobs that showed up at all; 1 of its 20 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.01% to 0.005% (released February and March 2025); 0.0043% to 0.028% (August 2025 to February 2026); 0.068% to 0.074% (April to May 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.01% | 529 of 708 | 3 of 20 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.005% | 584 of 703 | 2 of 20 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.0043% | 551 of 655 | 1 of 20 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.034% | 305 of 672 | 4 of 20 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.028% | 349 of 677 | 4 of 20 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.068% | 204 of 434 | 1 of 20 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | 0.074% | 197 of 447 | 1 of 20 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 61% of this job's working time as physical work. For 39% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 39% in a purpose-built cell. 0.39 of 3, the 350th highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 39%
- No robot shown 23%
- In a purpose-built cell 39%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
71% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Interview patients and measure vital signs, the in-person work, 9%
- Explain treatments and instructions to patients, the in-person work, 8%
- Assist with examinations and give injections, the hands-on work, 8%
- Perform routine laboratory tests, the hands-on work, 7%
- Clean and sterilize instruments, the hands-on work, 6%
- Prepare treatment rooms, the hands-on work, 6%
What becomes checking the machine
26% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it. Another 3% is desk work that is small if wrong, which can be handed over with lighter checks.
- Record history and results in medical records, severe if wrong, 7%
- Keep financial records and send statements, costly if wrong, 7%
- Do general office duties, costly if wrong, 5%
- Schedule patient appointments, costly if wrong, 2%
- Interview patients and measure vital signs, severe if wrong, 2%
- Authorize refills and inform pharmacies, a licensed person signs, 2%
What to learn
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- The hands-on craft. About 45% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check or sign: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
- Dealing with people outside the organization. Customers, patients, suppliers or the public: trust with them is built by a person.
- Running AI inside the business systems. About 28% of the time is work inside business systems, which a model can do only once it is connected: knowing the systems well enough to set that up and watch it.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 20 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.Asking the patient, taking the measurements, and entering them.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Pursuant Health self-service health kiosk (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 11% | 17 min8 min to 29 min | In person 50%, hands-on 30%, systems 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Keep financial records or perform other bookkeeping duties, such as handling credit or collections or mailing monthly statements to patients.Billing and collections entries, and statements mailed.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 8% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | Systems 80%, hands-on 20% | 80%Desk part half by now |
| Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.Talking the patient through it in person.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 8% | 13 min4 min to 21 min | In person 100% | Stays with people |
| Perform general office duties, such as answering telephones, taking dictation, or completing insurance forms.Phones, dictation and insurance forms.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 8% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Systems 40%, conversation 40%, documents 20% | 60%Desk part half by now |
| Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures.Hands-on, beside the physician.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 8% | 21 min8 min to 42 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Perform routine laboratory tests and sample analyses.Running the test by hand on a specimen.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Sysmex UN-Series (UC-3500 / UF-5000) automated urinalysis line (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 7% | 25 min13 min to 1.1 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.Charting in the patient record system.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 10 min4 min to 21 min | Systems 100% | 100%Half by now |
| Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.Hands-on work.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Getinge Automatiq (Envoy mobile robot, Depot, Loaders, Hub) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.Setting up and cleaning by hand.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.Walking the patient in and getting them ready, in person.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 6 min3 min to 13 min | In person 50%, hands-on 50% | Stays with people |
| Contact medical facilities or departments to schedule patients for tests or admission.Calls to the facility, with the booking entered.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 17 min8 min to 29 min | Conversation 60%, systems 40% | 40%Desk part half by now |
| Authorize drug refills and provide prescription information to pharmacies.Calls with the pharmacy and entries in the chart, on the physician's authority.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 8 min4 min to 17 min | Systems 50%, conversation 50% | 50%Desk part half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Surgical Assistants0% now, 0% by 2028
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians14% now, 14% by 2028
- Registered Nurses37% now, 39% by 2028
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses16% now, 16% by 2028
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians31% now, 31% by 2028
- Physical Therapist Aides18% now, 18% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Medical Assistants is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 29% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 29% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Medical Assistants come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Record history and results in medical records (100% of the task's time now); Keep financial records and send statements (80% of the task's time now); and Do general office duties (60% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Medical Assistants stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Explain treatments and instructions to patients; Assist with examinations and give injections; and Perform routine laboratory tests. Together such tasks are about 47% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Medical Assistants learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are judgment where errors are severe; the hands-on craft; and reviewing work you did not do yourself. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 71% of the working time stays with people, 26% becomes checking a model's work and 3% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Medical Assistants?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026 and tied to a work task, 0.074% went to this job's tasks, the 197th largest share of the 447 jobs that showed up; 1 of its 20 tasks appeared. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 5%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Medical Assistants?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 61% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 39% of the working time. Its index is 0.39 of 3. One example: Pursuant Health self-service health kiosk for "interview patients and measure vital signs". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 20 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on September 30, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
This job in your state or metro area
Embed these figures on your site
A small card with the share of working time within reach now and at the end of 2027, 2028 and 2030, the date and a link back. Free under CC BY 4.0; the card carries the credit.
Your own version of this job
The page above is the occupation. Your job is your title and what you actually do: give both, and they are read against these tasks in your browser, nothing sent anywhere. The headline is free: how much of your working time is within reach now and by the end of 2028, and how many of the tasks your description names.
The full personal report is $19, to print or save as a PDF: every task with when it comes within reach, which ones your description names, the parts of your description the task list does not cover, what stays with you, what becomes checking the machine and what to learn.