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The differences between cardiac technicians and medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a cardiac technician, becoming a medical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a cardiac technician has an average salary of $39,698, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a cardiac technician include patients, BLS and CPR. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Cardiac Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,698 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $19.09 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 50,689 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 45 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Cardiac or cardiovascular technicians are healthcare professionals who participate in saving the lives of patients with a heart attack by helping physicians diagnose and treat cardiac and peripheral vascular ailments. These technicians are experts in conducting electrocardiogram (ECG) tests that measure the electrical activity of a patient's heart. They prepare patients and position them for the medical procedure while setting up the necessary diagnosing and monitoring equipment. Cardiac technicians must also assist cardiovascular surgeons in interpreting the reports for their patients.
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.
Cardiac technicians and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cardiac Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,698 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $50,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fargo, ND | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a cardiac technician and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Cardiac Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | Emory University | - |
Here are the differences between cardiac technicians' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Cardiac Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 8% | 6% |