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The differences between assistants-at surgery and medical laboratory 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 laboratory assistant. Additionally, an assistant-at-surgery has an average salary of $81,630, which is higher than the $34,673 average annual salary of a medical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for an assistant-at-surgery include patients, surgical procedures and HIPAA. The most important skills for a medical laboratory assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $81,630 | $34,673 |
| Hourly rate | $39.25 | $16.67 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 154,070 | 124,322 |
| 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 medical laboratory assistant is in charge of performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a more experienced medical technician or scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around collecting samples such as blood and tissues, preparing slides, running tests using machines and equipment, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. Furthermore, a medical laboratory assistant must also keep the cleanliness of the laboratory, organize and monitor inventories, procure supplies, and implement the laboratory's policies and regulations.
Assistants-at surgery and medical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $81,630 | $34,673 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $215,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Eugene, OR |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Physician Affiliate Group of New York | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an assistant-at-surgery and a medical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Laboratory 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 medical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5% | Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |