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The differences between certified medical assistants/certified nurse assistants and geriatric nursing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a certified medical assistant/certified nurse assistant and a geriatric nursing assistant. Additionally, a certified medical assistant/certified nurse assistant has an average salary of $36,382, which is higher than the $34,595 average annual salary of a geriatric nursing assistant.
The top three skills for a certified medical assistant/certified nurse assistant include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a geriatric nursing assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and vital signs.
| Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $36,382 | $34,595 |
| Hourly rate | $17.49 | $16.63 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 350,499 | 137,681 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | Bachelor's Degree, 23% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
A certified medical assistant (CMA) or certified nurse assistant (CNA) is a healthcare professional who performs clinical and administrative duties in clinics or medical facilities. Certified medical assistants provide excellent customer service to patients arriving and departing from the medical facility and administer injections or medications to their patients. In administrative duties, certified medical assistants are tasked to help clients submit insurance claims and encode medical records to the computer system. They also can work with specialized physicians such as ophthalmologists and podiatrists.
A geriatric nursing assistant is responsible for assisting elderly patients with their daily activities in a health care institution or private household setting. Geriatric nursing assistants monitor the patients' conditions, maintain an organized record of medical charts, administer medications, and update the attending physician for any health concerns. They also guide the patients with their doctor appointments, process medical documents, and coordinate with medical staff for medical procedures and payments. A geriatric nursing assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills to ensure high-quality care services for the patients and help them improve their lifestyle.
Certified medical assistants/certified nurse assistants and geriatric nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $36,382 | $34,595 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $25,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Aya Healthcare | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a certified medical assistant/certified nurse assistant and a geriatric nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 26% | Bachelor's Degree, 23% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between certified medical assistants/certified nurse assistants' and geriatric nursing assistants' demographics:
| Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.5% Female, 89.5% | Male, 13.4% Female, 86.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.8% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 20.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |