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Care associate vs health care provider

The differences between care associates and health care providers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health care provider has an average salary of $39,309, which is higher than the $32,558 average annual salary of a care associate.

The top three skills for a care associate include patients, vital signs and PCA. The most important skills for a health care provider are patients, meal prep, and mental health.

Care associate vs health care provider overview

Care AssociateHealth Care Provider
Yearly salary$32,558$39,309
Hourly rate$15.65$18.90
Growth rate9%36%
Number of jobs192,391236,098
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%High School Diploma, 31%
Average age4250
Years of experience3-

What does a care associate do?

Patient care associates typically work at different healthcare settings where their primary job is to provide basic patient needs and comfort. They are also responsible for several patient care tasks, including bathing patients, changing the pillows and bedsheets of patients, and serving patients' meals. They should comply with safety protocols when performing these tasks. Some of them can give patients medication depending on the level of their training. To become a patient care specialist, one should possess several skills, such as good communication.

What does a health care provider do?

A health care provider offers health care services such as the diagnosis of diseases in medical laboratories, imaging centers, or treatment services. Your job responsibility as a health care provider may be to look after the well-being of patients and provide specific medical care to them. Your job is to meet clients at the point of their needs when they have medical challenges and provide a solution to them.

Care associate vs health care provider salary

Care associates and health care providers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Care AssociateHealth Care Provider
Average salary$32,558$39,309
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $48,000Between $25,000 And $61,000
Highest paying CityHollister, CA-
Highest paying stateHawaii-
Best paying companyAnalysis Group-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between care associate and health care provider education

There are a few differences between a care associate and a health care provider in terms of educational background:

Care AssociateHealth Care Provider
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%High School Diploma, 31%
Most common majorNursingBusiness
Most common college--

Care associate vs health care provider demographics

Here are the differences between care associates' and health care providers' demographics:

Care AssociateHealth Care Provider
Average age4250
Gender ratioMale, 22.3% Female, 77.7%Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 24.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 35.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage7%5%

Differences between care associate and health care provider duties and responsibilities

Care associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
  • Provide direct care to patients in intensive care unit with empathy, compassion and enthusiasm.
  • Utilize strong interpersonal skills to educate patients on procedures, rehabilitation and contraception methods.
  • Care for patients requiring telemetry monitoring and work collaboratively with telemetry technician/nurses to detect and report abnormalities to physicians.
  • Coordinate with clinicians to meet the specific needs of patients and perform clinical care in an ICU.
  • Assign to new ER and ICU departments by leadership to maintain quality of patient care and increase patient satisfaction.
    • Show more

Health care provider example responsibilities.

  • Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
  • Provide assistance including administering prescribe oral medications to ADL patients.
  • Maintain all client confidentiality, licensing and CPR compliance records.
  • Full personal care attendant, CPR license, documentation, friendly and courteous.
  • Help with daily activities, transfers, bathing, medical documentation, ordering supplies, and catheter care.
  • Provide support and aid in problematic situations involving incontinence, cognitive impairment, mobility, and Alzheimer care.
    • Show more

Care associate vs health care provider skills

Common care associate skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Vital Signs, 11%
  • PCA, 7%
  • Phlebotomy, 7%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Customer Service, 5%
Common health care provider skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Meal Prep, 11%
  • Mental Health, 9%
  • Social Work, 8%
  • Laundry Services, 7%
  • Home Health, 7%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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