Medical Assisting Certificate
Shasta College · Redding, CA
- Cost
- $3,954
- Length
- 34 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 414
- Finished the program
- 67%Based on 175 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
The job this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Redding MSA (Shasta County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Medical Assistants
Job ads may call this: Health Assistant · Doctor's Assistant · Ophthalmic Assistant · Optometric Assistant
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
What this pays in Redding MSA (Shasta County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $38,870 | $47,380 | $57,408 |
| Across California | $40,285 | $50,918 | $79,258 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Redding MSA (Shasta County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $50,918per yearRedding MSA: $46,670
- Projected openings
- 175,850Redding MSA: 820
- Projected change
- +22.7%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 38% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.
- No high school diploma
- 2%
- High school diploma
- 20%
- Started college, no degree
- 38%
- Two-year degree
- 24%
- Four-year degree
- 12%
- Master's degree
- 3%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 1%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job. It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
The Medical Assisting Program prepares the student with the knowledge, skills, and distinctive qualities necessary for the medical assisting profession. The medical assistant possesses a broad scope of skills which make them ideal allied health professionals in the ambulatory care setting. During this program, students will learn vitals, EKG, venipuncture, injections and pharmacology, assisting in minor office surgery, waived testing, patient advocacy and education, 80 Chapter 3: Programs of Study 2024-2025 Shasta College Catalog medical terminology, basic anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, as well as medical office administrative tasks. Such versatility affords graduates the opportunity to find employment in clinics, urgent-care facilities, primary care and specialty physician offices, including podiatry, chiropractic, and optometry. Medical assistants have also found employment in medical laboratories, surgical centers, electro cardiography departments in hospitals, government agencies, and educational institutions. The program is two semesters and a Certificate of Achievement may be earned by completing all courses with a grade of C or better. The medical assisting profession is highly diversified, and the work is challenging and personally rewarding. This certificate is approved through the California Community College Chancellors Office. Upon satisfactory completion of the listed requirements and filing an application for graduation with Admissions and Records, the students transcript will reflect completion of this certificate.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
EDD State of California - ReddingAffiliate site
Phone: 530-225-2185
1325 Pine StRedding, CA 96001about 9.8 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
Smart Workforce CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 530-246-7911
760 Cypress AvenueSuite 210Redding, CA 96001about 10 miles away
Hours: Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri 8 am-5 pm, Wed 9 am-5 pm. Closed 12 noon-1 pm.
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →