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The differences between assistants-at surgery and clinical medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an assistant-at-surgery and a clinical medical assistant. Additionally, an assistant-at-surgery has an average salary of $81,630, which is higher than the $37,052 average annual salary of a clinical medical assistant.
The top three skills for an assistant-at-surgery include patients, surgical procedures and HIPAA. The most important skills for a clinical medical assistant are patients, patient care, and vital signs.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $81,630 | $37,052 |
| Hourly rate | $39.25 | $17.81 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 154,070 | 233,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An assistant at surgery is a medical professional who assists surgeons and nurses during surgical operations and other procedures. They are responsible for setting up and maintaining the cleanliness of operating rooms, preparing and sanitizing tools and equipment, understanding the operations' course, and preparing the patients pre-surgery through interviews and assessments. During the surgery, they provide direct assistance to the surgeon by handing the correct tools, monitoring the patients' vital signs, attaching tubes, and even closing wounds. Moreover, as an assistant at surgery, it is essential to be proactive and have a clear mind presence.
A clinical medical assistant specializes in performing administrative and clinical tasks in a hospital or similar setting. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's information, medical history, test results, and other essential documentation, and updating patient medical records. Other tasks include reaching out to patients' families and guardians, assisting health workers with room preparation and patient care, and preparing medications and other treatments, all in adherence to a physician's directives. Furthermore, a clinical medical assistant may conduct inspections to ensure that the hospital complies with government regulations.
Assistants-at surgery and clinical medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $81,630 | $37,052 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $215,000 | Between $29,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Physician Affiliate Group of New York | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an assistant-at-surgery and a clinical medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between assistants-at surgery' and clinical medical assistants' demographics:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5% | Male, 10.8% Female, 89.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 51.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |