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The differences between certified phlebotomists and medical assistant externships can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a certified phlebotomist, becoming a medical assistant externship takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical assistant externship has an average salary of $35,460, which is higher than the $34,509 average annual salary of a certified phlebotomist.
The top three skills for a certified phlebotomist include patients, blood specimens and phlebotomy procedures. The most important skills for a medical assistant externship are patients, vital signs, and EKG.
| Certified Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Yearly salary | $34,509 | $35,460 |
| Hourly rate | $16.59 | $17.05 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 44,574 | 172,671 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 23% | Diploma, 31% |
| Average age | 41 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A certified phlebotomist is a medical professional who specializes in drawing blood through venipuncture or finger and heel pricks, preparing the samples for laboratory procedures. Besides collecting blood, a phlebotomist is also responsible for gathering patient information, verifying identification, reviewing medical histories, labeling vials, and maintaining records, including diagnostic findings. They are also in charge of keeping laboratory equipment clean, discarding trash appropriately, and organizing supplies according to policies, ordering new supplies when necessary. Above all, a certified phlebotomist maintains an open and transparent communication line with nurses and physicians for an efficient workflow.
Medical assistant externs are medical school students who took the opportunity to get on-the-job training at a medical facility, usually a hospital. They spend a set amount of time in the facility. Medical assistant externs do job shadowing. They join their mentors, who are usually doctors or other health professionals, in their daily activities. Unlike usual on-the-job trainees, medical assistant externs do not really work on administrative activities. Instead, they are given the opportunity to truly be exposed to the actual work in a medical facility. They experience talking to patients and their families, performing basic medical tasks under the supervision of a doctor, and interpreting laboratory results with their mentors.
Certified phlebotomists and medical assistant externships have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Average salary | $34,509 | $35,460 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $43,000 | Between $23,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a certified phlebotomist and a medical assistant externship in terms of educational background:
| Certified Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 23% | Diploma, 31% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between certified phlebotomists' and medical assistant externships' demographics:
| Certified Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant Externship | |
| Average age | 41 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% | Male, 15.3% Female, 84.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 9.8% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |