Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Greenfield Community College

Greenfield Community College's medical assisting certificate graduates earn about $27,700 in their first year—slightly above the national median but nearly $9,000 below the typical Massachusetts graduate in this field. That state gap is significant: this program ranks in just the 25th percentile among Bay State medical assisting programs, meaning three-quarters of comparable programs produce better-earning graduates. Mount Wachusett and Bunker Hill graduates, for instance, earn roughly $17,000 more annually, a substantial difference when you're starting near $28,000.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $8,595, borrowing here is manageable and below both state and national averages. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31 means graduates should be able to handle these payments, though it's higher than you'd find at top-performing programs where stronger earnings make the same debt load easier to carry.

For a family weighing options, this comes down to local access versus opportunity cost. If Greenfield's location or program timing makes it uniquely accessible, the modest debt won't derail your child's finances. But if other Massachusetts community colleges are viable alternatives—particularly Mount Wachusett or Bunker Hill—those programs deliver dramatically better earnings outcomes that would more than justify any additional commuting or planning required. Medical assisting is stable work, but where you train in Massachusetts clearly matters for your starting salary.