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Athletic coach vs physician assistant

The differences between athletic coaches and physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician assistant has an average salary of $118,812, which is higher than the $45,554 average annual salary of an athletic coach.

The top three skills for an athletic coach include CPR, student athletes and volleyball. The most important skills for a physician assistant are patients, diagnostic tests, and surgery.

Athletic coach vs physician assistant overview

Athletic CoachPhysician Assistant
Yearly salary$45,554$118,812
Hourly rate$21.90$57.12
Growth rate20%28%
Number of jobs16,93539,752
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age3639
Years of experience6-

What does an athletic coach do?

Athletic coaches organize professional and amateur athletes and teach them the basics of sports. The coaches train athletes to compete individually or as a team. They work before and after a match or game in the sphere of administrative duties. They provide assistance to the athletes to develop their full potential. They work as game coaches, leaders, performance managers, trainers, and leaders of the athletes. Also, they honor their clients as experts in their work and lives.

What does a physician assistant do?

The physician assistant, also known as "PA," is now considered a key player to any healthcare team. Physician assistants are health care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians. They work on several areas of medicine, from primary care to emergency service and even psychiatry. Neither they are a doctor nor a physician, but their job profile showcases many of these responsibilities. More than as assistants to the doctors, they are also equipped to examine, diagnose, and develop treatment strategies for patients.

Athletic coach vs physician assistant salary

Athletic coaches and physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Athletic CoachPhysician Assistant
Average salary$45,554$118,812
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $71,000Between $70,000 And $201,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MABoston, MA
Highest paying stateNew YorkVermont
Best paying companyBoston Public SchoolsMarshall University
Best paying industryGovernmentEducation

Differences between athletic coach and physician assistant education

There are a few differences between an athletic coach and a physician assistant in terms of educational background:

Athletic CoachPhysician Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common majorKinesiologyPhysician Assistant
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityDuke University

Athletic coach vs physician assistant demographics

Here are the differences between athletic coaches' and physician assistants' demographics:

Athletic CoachPhysician Assistant
Average age3639
Gender ratioMale, 69.6% Female, 30.4%Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 5.5% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage8%12%

Differences between athletic coach and physician assistant duties and responsibilities

Athletic coach example responsibilities.

  • Perform additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by school and district supervisors such as organizing and managing elementary school mathematics information nights.
  • Create a positive, team-base environment focuse on teaching soccer, flag football, baseball, and life skills.
  • Coach middle school women's volleyball, softball and basketball.
  • Coach girls sports year-round: including volleyball, basketball, track and field.
  • Implement monthly recruitment logs for contact with prospects to meet the NCAA rules.
  • Coach several players to post season accolades including a player who make an NFL training camp.
  • Show more

Physician assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage a variety of acute and chronic conditions especially asthma, allergies, injuries, and infectious diseases.
  • Manage chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, ASCVD, chronic back and joint pains, depression, and anxiety.
  • Manage patient surgical care throughout the continuum of care from pre-op, to discharge planning, including ambulatory and hospital in-patients.
  • Attain pertinent history & physicals for obstetrics and gynecological acute and preventative visits.
  • Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
  • Aid in the acute management of trauma patients including obtaining appropriate studies, suturing, and CPR.
  • Show more

Athletic coach vs physician assistant skills

Common athletic coach skills
  • CPR, 30%
  • Student Athletes, 23%
  • Volleyball, 7%
  • Soccer, 7%
  • Public Schools, 6%
  • Freshman, 4%
Common physician assistant skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 6%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • Primary Care, 5%
  • Urgent Care, 4%
  • CPR, 3%

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