Medical Assistant resume skills and keywords
In 250 Medical Assistant job postings from 93 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are EHR (69 %), Communication (64 %), Patient care (56 %), Vital signs (47 %) and Compassion (40 %). Of the top 40 skills, 26 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 14 are soft skills.
Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.
Top 40 skills in Medical Assistant job postings
| Skill | Share of postings | Type |
|---|---|---|
| EHR | 69 % | Tool |
| Communication | 64 % | Soft skill |
| Patient care | 56 % | Hard skill |
| Vital signs | 47 % | Hard skill |
| Compassion | 40 % | Soft skill |
| BLS | 36 % | Certification |
| Certified Medical Assistant | 36 % | Certification |
| Customer service | 34 % | Soft skill |
| Attention to detail | 34 % | Soft skill |
| HIPAA | 28 % | Certification |
| Phlebotomy | 25 % | Hard skill |
| Bilingual | 22 % | Soft skill |
| Patient education | 22 % | Hard skill |
| EKG | 20 % | Hard skill |
| Infection control | 19 % | Hard skill |
| Collaboration | 19 % | Soft skill |
| Professionalism | 18 % | Soft skill |
| Medical terminology | 18 % | Hard skill |
| Interpersonal skills | 18 % | Soft skill |
| Empathy | 18 % | Soft skill |
| Flexibility | 17 % | Soft skill |
| RMA | 16 % | Certification |
| Teamwork | 14 % | Soft skill |
| CPR | 14 % | Certification |
| OSHA | 14 % | Certification |
| Prior authorization | 12 % | Hard skill |
| Microsoft Office | 12 % | Tool |
| Venipuncture | 11 % | Hard skill |
| Organizational skills | 11 % | Soft skill |
| Patient-Centered Care | 11 % | Hard skill |
| Care Coordination | 11 % | Hard skill |
| Problem Solving | 11 % | Soft skill |
| Leadership | 10 % | Soft skill |
| Vaccine | 10 % | Hard skill |
| Pediatric | 10 % | Hard skill |
| Clinical Procedures | 9 % | Hard skill |
| Scheduling appointments | 9 % | Hard skill |
| Specimen Collection | 8 % | Hard skill |
| Behavioral health | 8 % | Hard skill |
| Patient Intake | 8 % | Hard skill |
Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications
Hard skills (18)
- Patient care 56 %
- Vital signs 47 %
- Phlebotomy 25 %
- Patient education 22 %
- EKG 20 %
- Infection control 19 %
- Medical terminology 18 %
- Prior authorization 12 %
- Venipuncture 11 %
- Patient-Centered Care 11 %
- Care Coordination 11 %
- Vaccine 10 %
- Pediatric 10 %
- Clinical Procedures 9 %
- Scheduling appointments 9 %
- Specimen Collection 8 %
- Behavioral health 8 %
- Patient Intake 8 %
Soft skills (14)
- Communication 64 %
- Compassion 40 %
- Customer service 34 %
- Attention to detail 34 %
- Bilingual 22 %
- Collaboration 19 %
- Professionalism 18 %
- Interpersonal skills 18 %
- Empathy 18 %
- Flexibility 17 %
- Teamwork 14 %
- Organizational skills 11 %
- Problem Solving 11 %
- Leadership 10 %
Tools and software (2)
- EHR 69 %
- Microsoft Office 12 %
Certifications and licenses (6)
Keyword phrases recruiters use
Multi-word phrases that recur across these medical assistant postings, with the share of postings that use each one.
How to use this on your resume
Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.
Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.
Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Medical Assistant resume example. Then prepare for the Medical Assistant interview questions that test them.
Build a medical assistant resume with these skills
Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.