American Association of Medical Assistants

What American Association of Medical Assistants does

The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), founded in 1956 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is the national professional membership association for medical assistants in the United States. It is organized as a private 501(c) nonprofit governed by a Board of Trustees and a House of Delegates, with operational staff of 11–50 employees distributed across certification, continuing education, membership, communications, and finance functions.

Its core product is the CMA (AAMA) credential, the only medical assistant certification accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), granted through an autonomous Certifying Board and maintained via a 60-month recertification cycle requiring 60 CEUs. Supporting the credential is an OasisLMS-based e-Learning Center offering continuing education courses, multi-course Assessment-Based Certificate Programs in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Practice Management, Allied Health Education, and Telemedicine, a 200-question practice examination, and a digital badging system. Adjunct offerings include Medical Assisting Today magazine, the AAMA Podcast, two blogs (Legal Eye on Medical Assisting and CMA AAMA In Sight), and a national scope-of-practice advocacy program.

AAMA monetizes primarily through individual-paid recurring streams: annual membership dues, certification examination fees, recertification application fees ($80 members / $160 nonmembers), continuing education course purchases, and Assessment-Based Certificate Programs. Transactional revenue is generated through annual conference registration (69th in Arlington, VA; 70th planned for Reno, NV) and merchandise/certification pin sales. Customer acquisition is community-led rather than sales-led, relying on state societies and local chapters across all 50 states, accredited program relationships (CAAHEP/ABHES), and digital marketing channels (website, social media, podcast, newsletter) targeting individual medical assistants, employers, educators, and students.

Name

American Association of Medical Assistants

Legal name

American Association of Medical Assistants

Website

https://aama-ntl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Association of Medical Assistants is a 501(c) nonprofit professional association founded in 1955/1956 that issues the NCCA-accredited CMA (AAMA) credential, delivers continuing education through an OasisLMS-based e-Learning Center, and advocates for medical assistants across 40+ U.S. state societies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Assistant Professional Certification and Credentialing

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Assisting (Clinical & Administrative) (EDAOAJAA)

Keywords

• Medical assistant certification
• Continuing education
• Professional membership association
• Healthcare credentialing
• Medical assisting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to publications, resources, state societies, local chapters, discounts on CE courses, and certification maintenance.
2. Certification and Recertification Fees: Fees for CMA AAMA certification examination, initial certification, and recertification applications. Recertification application fee is $80 for members and $160 for nonmembers.
3. Continuing Education Course Sales: Sale of individual courses, bundles (e.g., Recert Ready Bundle at $260 members/$520 nonmembers), and certificate programs through the e-Learning Center.
4. Annual Conference Revenue: Registration fees for the annual AAMA conference, including CEU sessions and networking events. The 70th Annual Conference is planned for Reno, Nevada.
5. Publication Sales and Advertising: Medical Assisting Today magazine, advertising opportunities, and merchandise including certification pins sold through the AAMA Store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels17 records

Core offering

The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) is a national nonprofit professional association that administers the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA, AAMA) certification exam and provides continuing education, recertification pathways, advocacy, and member services to medical assistants in the United States. AAMA grants the only medical assisting certification accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and sustains a network of state-level member societies. Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues, certification and recertification fees, continuing education course sales, and publication/merchandise income.

Product overview

The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) offers a comprehensive suite of products centered on its core CMA (AAMA) Certification program. The main offering is the Certified Medical Assistant credential, which is NCCA-accredited and requires recertification every 60 months. Supporting this are the e-Learning Center platform and Recert Ready Bundle for continuing education, along with Assessment-Based Certificate Programs in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Practice Management, Allied Health Education, and Telemedicine. Additional products include the CMA (AAMA) Certification Practice Exam, Medical Assisting Today magazine, the AAMA Podcast, Legal Eye On Medical Assisting Blog, and CMA (AAMA) In Sight Blog. The portfolio also includes specialized modules like the Population Health Module and Assessment-Based Recognition in Order Entry (ABR-OE) program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CMA (AAMA) Certification A NCCA-accredited certification examination for medical assistants seeking a nationally portable, employer-recognized credential in ambulatory care settings. Intended for graduates of medical assisting programs and currently practicing medical assistants.
• AAMA Membership Annual professional membership providing access to publications, advocacy, networking, member pricing on continuing education, state society affiliation, and discounts in the AAMA Store. Targets medical assistants, educators, and students.
• AAMA e-Learning Center Online platform hosting continuing education courses that award CEUs toward CMA (AAMA) recertification, featuring individual modules and assessment-based certificate programs with digital badging. Aimed at medical assistants maintaining the CMA (AAMA) credential.
• Recert Ready Bundle Bundled package of continuing education courses designed to help CMA (AAMA) holders satisfy the 30 CEU recertification requirement within a five-year cycle. Targeted at currently certified medical assistants approaching recertification.
• ABR-OE Bundle Bundled package of assessment-based certificate (ABC) programs offering CEUs toward CMA (AAMA) recertification. Provides medical assistants with multiple digital credentials in a single purchase.
• CMA (AAMA) Certification Practice Exam Paid online practice examination that simulates the content areas of the CMA (AAMA) certification exam, designed to support candidates preparing for credentialing. Aimed at medical assisting students and first-time certification candidates.
• Assessment-Based Certificate (ABC) Courses Individual continuing education courses (e.g., Nutrition, Medical Law, Human Trafficking, Population Health, EKG Essentials, Sickle Cell) that award digital badge-bearing assessment-based certificates and CEUs toward CMA (AAMA) recertification. Targeted at medical assistants seeking focused specialty education.
• AAMA Annual Conference Annual multi-day conference featuring continuing education sessions, networking, officer installations, and exhibitor/sponsorship opportunities for healthcare employers and vendors. Targets AAMA members, state society leaders, and industry partners.
• Medical Assisting Today Member publication covering professional, clinical, and career topics relevant to medical assistants and the CMA (AAMA) credential. Includes advertising placements reaching the medical assistant workforce.

Quantifiable outcome

• CMA AAMA certification must be renewed every 60 months through continuing education (60 CEUs) or examination
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Medical Assistant Partnership for Healthy Pregnancies and Families (MAPP-HPF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partnership organization that collaborated with AAMA on the free webinar 'Stimulant Use and Reproductive Health Considerations,' providing continuing education on prenatal health topics for medical assistants.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA): NHA issues the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) credential and several other allied health certifications, directly competing with AAMA's CMA (AAMA) in the same medical assisting market.
• American Medical Technologists (AMT): AMT is a direct competitor offering the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential and allied health certifications, targeting the same medical assistant population with a similar membership and continuing education model.
• National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT): NCCT offers the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) and related certifications, providing another mainstream alternative to AAMA's credential for working medical assistants.

Broad incumbents

• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA): AHIMA is a larger healthcare credentialing and membership organization offering certifications, education, and advocacy in health information management—an adjacent professional certification body serving a parallel healthcare workforce niche.
• American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE): ACHE is a broader healthcare professional membership organization offering the FACHE credential, continuing education, and advocacy for healthcare executives—sharing AAMA's certification-plus-membership model in a different healthcare segment.
• National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC): NBRC provides national certification and credentialing for respiratory therapists; it shares AAMA's structure of accredited examinations, recertification requirements, and member services in an allied health field.
• American Nurses Association (ANA): ANA is a much larger professional association and credentialing body for registered nurses; it operates a comparable model of certification, continuing education, advocacy, and state-level chapters for an adjacent healthcare profession.
• American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT): ARRT is an established healthcare certification body for radiologic technologists operating a similar national-certification-plus-recertification model in an adjacent allied health profession.

Others

• Ascend Learning (parent of NHA): Ascend Learning is the for-profit parent of the National Healthcareer Association and a major investor in healthcare certification and education technology; it represents the scaled, capital-backed competitive model AAMA must contend with.
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): SHRM is a large professional membership association with a similar operating model of national credentialing (SHRM-CP/SCP), continuing education, state chapters, and advocacy—useful as a structural and operational benchmark for AAMA's membership and certification platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AAMAOfficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/aamachannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/aamaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-association-of-medical-assistants
• Instagraminstagram.com/aamaofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@theaamaofficial

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Association of Medical Assistants