Compare accredited programs, tuition, and certification paths to find the right fit for your career goals.
Hattiesburg anchors healthcare delivery across south Mississippi, with Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic together employing thousands of clinical staff in a metro area that consistently needs trained medical assistants. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a mean annual wage of $35,950 for MAs in the local market, and demand here tracks well above the national average growth rate.
Accredited medical assistant training is available at both the certificate and associate degree level within commuting distance, though options are limited compared to larger cities. That scarcity makes the differences between programs, in cost, format, accreditation type, and certification eligibility, matter more than usual. Choosing the wrong fit can cost you months and thousands of dollars with little to show for it.
Hattiesburg has a small but useful set of medical assistant training routes, including a local hybrid CCMA certificate and a nearby community college pathway. The two options differ sharply in format, from a short-term workforce program at the Woodall Center to a selective campus-based diploma or associate track.
Poplarville, MS · $4,000 – $6,000/yr
Best for: Hattiesburg-area career changers
Pearl River Community College offers a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) certificate as a 500-hour hybrid program at the Woodall Center in Hattiesburg. It combines online coursework, twice-weekly in-person skills labs, and a clinical externship, with three start dates each year, making it a practical choice for students who need a faster entry into medical office or clinic work. As an institution-wide measure, the college reports a 37% graduation rate, a net price around $6,500, and median debt of $9,750; program-level earnings are not yet available in federal data.
Perkinston, MS · ~$7,000/yr (est.)
Best for: One-year diploma and associate degree seekers
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College offers a one-year Medical Assisting Technology diploma and an Associate of Applied Science pathway at its Harrison County and Perkinston campuses. The campus-based program is selective, with fall entry and prerequisites such as Accuplacer testing and BIO 2514, and it is CAAHEP-accredited, preparing graduates for RMA and CMA exams. Institution-wide, the college reports a 48% graduation rate, a net price around $6,900, and median debt of $10,000; program-level earnings are not currently reported in federal data.
These figures compare published cost points, not a guaranteed bill. Average net price is an institution-wide estimate after grant and scholarship aid, so your actual cost may be lower or higher. Pell Grant share can hint at how many students receive federal need-based aid. In general, a short certificate like the Pearl River Community College CCMA has a lower total sticker price than a two-year associate degree because it covers fewer semesters. For PRCC, the $2,000 total is the CCMA course fee. The tuition figures shown are institution-level published rates for credit enrollment, and the CCMA is not eligible for college credit.
| School | Program | Credential | Total Program Cost | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Avg Net Price After Aid | Pell Grant Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl River Community College | CCMA Certificate | Certificate (non-credit) | $2,000 total course fee (2026) | $3,700 | $6,100 | $6,532 | 91.9% |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Medical Assisting Technology | Diploma / AAS | Not published | $4,250 | $7,850 | $6,962 | 87.7% |
In the Hattiesburg area, medical assistant training comes in two main formats. Certificate programs typically take 6-12 months and get you into the workforce quickly. Associate degrees take 18-24 months and often include general education courses that can transfer toward a bachelor's degree later.
Many Hattiesburg area programs run daytime cohorts, so if you work during clinic hours you may need a part-time or hybrid schedule. Commute times from nearby towns can also affect which campus fits your week.
CMA candidates usually need a CAAHEP or ABHES accredited program, while CCMA eligibility often runs through NHA. Checking this early can save you from retraining or limiting your job options.
A certificate can get you into the workforce sooner, while an associate degree often includes general education courses that may transfer, but it takes more time and money.
Accreditation is the stamp a program earns from an independent agency confirming that its curriculum, instructors, and clinical hours meet a national standard. Certification is what you personally earn after graduation by passing a national exam. The two are linked: which certification exam you can sit for often depends on which agency accredited your school.
Two agencies accredit most medical assistant programs in the U.S.: the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The distinction matters most for one specific credential.
Before enrolling anywhere, ask the admissions office two direct questions: which agency accredits the program, and which medical assistant certification exams recent graduates typically sit for. Medical assistant schools in Mississippi vary. Some hold CAAHEP or ABHES accreditation and prep students for the CMA, while others focus on CCMA prep through NHA-approved coursework. Accreditation status can change year to year, so verify the current listing directly with CAAHEP (caahep.org) or ABHES (abhes.org) rather than relying on a school's brochure.
Here is the honest answer for anyone training in Mississippi: the state does not license or certify medical assistants.1 There is no Mississippi medical assistant practice act, no state exam, and no registration requirement with the Board of Medical Licensure. Medical assistants work as unlicensed personnel under physician delegation, meaning the supervising physician remains legally responsible for tasks assigned to the MA, and facility policy sets the day-to-day boundaries.2
That said, most Hattiesburg-area employers, Forrest Health, Merit Health Wesley, and private clinics included, prefer or require a national certification. The state does not mandate it, but the job market effectively does.
What documents and requirements do medical assistant training programs near Hattiesburg actually ask for before you can start? Knowing the answer helps you prepare months in advance, gather paperwork, and avoid last-minute scrambles that delay your enrollment.
Most certificate and associate degree programs in the Hattiesburg area share a similar baseline for entry:
Gathering these documents early, especially immunization records that may require booster shots, can prevent enrollment delays.
Clinical hours give you supervised, hands-on experience in real healthcare settings. Across Mississippi, medical assistant programs typically require between 100 and 220 hours of medical assistant externship work.1 At Pearl River Community College's Hattiesburg hybrid program, the externship runs for three weeks on a full-time, unpaid basis at an on-site clinical location.
Externship placements are usually arranged through the school, which partners with local hospitals, outpatient clinics, and physician offices.2 While specific sites are not always published in advance, the Hattiesburg area offers a range of potential placement options given its concentration of healthcare facilities. Externships are almost always scheduled during daytime hours on weekdays, mirroring the typical clinic workflow you will encounter as a working medical assistant.2
This is where many prospective students hit a snag. If you are working full-time or managing family responsibilities, you may be hoping for part-time medical assistant programs with evening or weekend classes. The reality in the Hattiesburg area is that most programs are designed around daytime schedules, and clinical externships follow standard clinic hours.
Pearl River Community College's hybrid format does offer some flexibility. Online coursework lets you study on your own schedule, and lab sessions meet just two days per week. However, the three-week externship is still a full-time commitment. No programs in the immediate area currently advertise dedicated evening-only or weekend-only tracks for the entire program, including externships.
If you need maximum flexibility, plan ahead. Talk with your employer about a leave of absence or reduced hours during the externship phase. Some students bank vacation time specifically for this stretch.
Start dates vary by institution. Many programs run on a traditional semester schedule, admitting new cohorts in fall and spring. Some schools offer rolling admission, allowing you to begin closer to whenever you complete your application. Check directly with each program for their upcoming start dates, as waitlists can form for popular cohorts. Applying early, especially for fall terms, gives you the best chance of securing a seat in your preferred session.
Did you know the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects medical assisting to grow 14 percent from 2022 to 2032, far faster than the average occupation? That translates to roughly 123,000 job openings nationally each year, driven largely by retirements and expanding outpatient care, good news for Hattiesburg students entering the field.
How much do medical assistants actually earn in Hattiesburg, and what does the local job market look like right now?
In the Hattiesburg metro area, medical assistant salary data from the most recent federal wage snapshot lists a mean annual wage of $35,950 for medical assistants.1 That works out to roughly $17.30 an hour if you assume a standard full-time, year-round schedule. The metro snapshot does not publish the median, 10th percentile, and 90th percentile figures in the same accessible summary, so it is best not to treat the mean as the typical midpoint.
For Mississippi as a whole, the median annual wage for medical assistants is $36,240, with the lower end of the state range about $29,600 and the upper end about $39,510.2 That statewide distribution gives a useful reference point for the Hattiesburg area, but local conditions can shift the numbers either way. Nationally, medical assistant wages generally run higher than Mississippi, although exact national figures are not included in the metro-level data used here.
Hattiesburg's health care employers are concentrated around major clinics, hospitals, and specialty practices. The large local employers most often associated with medical assistant openings include Hattiesburg Clinic, Forrest General Hospital, Merit Health Wesley, and area specialty practices. Medical assistant job growth shifts seasonally and by specialty, so checking each employer directly is the most reliable way to find current openings.
Program-level earnings data, when published, show a separate metric: median earnings for students one year after completing a specific program. That number reflects a narrow cohort of recent graduates, not all medical assistants working in the Hattiesburg metro. It can be a helpful signal for a particular school, but it should not be compared directly to occupational wages for the full region.
Use this practical checklist to compare Hattiesburg medical assistant programs side by side. The same five questions can help you weigh accreditation, total cost, scheduling, certification readiness, and clinical placement quality before you commit.
Medical assistant training in Hattiesburg comes with practical questions about timelines, credentials, and online options. Here are direct answers to the most common ones, based on current program details and Mississippi requirements.
How long it takes to become a medical assistant depends on the program. Certificate or diploma options in the Hattiesburg area commonly run about 5, 9, 10, or 11 months,2 while some online and hybrid programs advertise completion in as little as 4 months.1 Associate degree paths generally take about 16 to 20 months,2 and at least one online program lists a 24-month timeline.3
No, Mississippi does not require medical assistants to be certified, licensed, or registered.2 Working as a medical assistant without certification is possible. However, many employers prefer to hire certified assistants. One training provider notes that 87% of organizations prefer certified candidates.2 Earning a national credential such as CCMA or CMA can strengthen your job prospects even though it is not legally required.
Yes, but read the details. Several programs offer online theory and coursework, including options that advertise completion in about 4 months.1 Most medical assistant online programs are actually hybrid, because hands-on labs and a clinical externship still need to be completed in person. Fully online study may cover bookwork, but the practical training is typically on site.
A reliable Hattiesburg-specific average salary is not available in the research gathered for this guide. Wages vary by employer, experience, certification, and clinic setting. For current local pay estimates, consult federal or state workforce data such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or Mississippi workforce reports.
CMA stands for Certified Medical Assistant and is typically connected with the American Association of Medical Assistants exam. CCMA stands for Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and is offered by the National Healthcareer Association.4 Both are national credentials for medical assistants, but they are separate exams from different organizations, so requirements and focus areas can differ.
