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The differences between assistants-at surgery and 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 medical assistant. Additionally, an assistant-at-surgery has an average salary of $81,630, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for an assistant-at-surgery include patients, surgical procedures and HIPAA. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $81,630 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $39.25 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 154,070 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| 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.
Medical assistants provide support to medical practitioners in both administrative and clerical tasks. They keep and update the patient's medical records, administer medicines under the supervision of a physician, assist during medical examinations, prepare medical samples for laboratory testing, manage the schedule of appointments, and assist the patients with their bills and in filling out needed forms, such as insurance-related documents. Medical assistants should have good communication skills and analytical skills, be organized, and be flexible. They should also have knowledge of how to operate some medical equipment such as x-ray machines.
Assistants-at surgery and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $81,630 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $215,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Physician Affiliate Group of New York | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an assistant-at-surgery and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between assistants-at surgery' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 49.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |