Medical assistant is among middle-wage occupations on the rise, according to a study by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International. The number of medical assistant jobs rose by 29,949 from 2010, an increase of 5 percent.

Middle-wage jobs are defined as jobs that pay between $13.84 and $21.13 an hour, according to the study. The median earnings for medical assistants is $14.35 per hour.

While some middle-wage jobs have risen, the overall number of such jobs has dropped to 15 percent over the years from 25 percent in 1985, according to the study.

“Middle-wage positions sustained heavier hits during the recession than other wage groups,” said CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson. “This is further indication of a hollowing effect economists have warned about, where middle-wage jobs are thinning out — creating a greater concentration of either high-wage or low-wage positions.”

Other middle-wage jobs on the increase include customer service reps; truck drivers; bookkeeping clerks; construction laborers; machinists; welders, cutters, solderers and brazers; automotive techs; and inspectors.

Data for the study came from EMSI’s labor market database.