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The differences between assistants-at surgery and unit 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 unit assistant. Additionally, an assistant-at-surgery has an average salary of $81,630, which is higher than the $33,802 average annual salary of a unit assistant.
The top three skills for an assistant-at-surgery include patients, surgical procedures and HIPAA. The most important skills for a unit assistant are patients, customer service, and HIPAA.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Unit Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $81,630 | $33,802 |
| Hourly rate | $39.25 | $16.25 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 154,070 | 174,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| 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 unit assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties within a department of a health care institution, ensuring that the patients receive the highest quality care services for their concerns and needs. Unit assistants assist the patients and the visitors, confirm their appointments, and direct them to the correct personnel or medical department. They also manage the adequacy of medical supplies and report defective equipment and machine to the maintenance for immediate repairs or replacements. A unit assistant must be highly organizational, especially on storing medical records and updating patients' information on the database.
Assistants-at surgery and unit assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Unit Assistant | |
| Average salary | $81,630 | $33,802 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $215,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Westfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Physician Affiliate Group of New York | UC Santa Barbara |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an assistant-at-surgery and a unit assistant in terms of educational background:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Unit Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between assistants-at surgery' and unit assistants' demographics:
| Assistant-At-Surgery | Unit Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5% | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 9.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |