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The differences between certified physician assistants and certified medical assistants/certified nurse assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certified physician assistant has an average salary of $126,201, which is higher than the $36,382 average annual salary of a certified medical assistant/certified nurse assistant.
The top three skills for a certified physician assistant include patients, diagnosis and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a certified medical assistant/certified nurse assistant are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Certified Physician Assistant | Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $126,201 | $36,382 |
| Hourly rate | $60.67 | $17.49 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 123,124 | 350,499 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 26% |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 3 |
Certified Physician assistants are healthcare professionals who are trained and supervised by a physician to diagnose and treat illness as well as provide preventive care to their patients. These assistants must collaborate with specialists so that they can ensure optimal patient care through formal and informal consultations. They are required to develop and implement new strategies for patient care based on current medical practice guidelines. Certified Physician Assistants must also assist with cases in general surgery such as orthopedic, thoracic, and vascular procedures.
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.
Certified physician assistants and certified medical assistants/certified nurse assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Physician Assistant | Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | |
| Average salary | $126,201 | $36,382 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $215,000 | Between $27,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Aya Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a certified physician assistant and a certified medical assistant/certified nurse assistant in terms of educational background:
| Certified Physician Assistant | Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 26% |
| Most common major | Physician Assistant | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | - |
Here are the differences between certified physician assistants' and certified medical assistants/certified nurse assistants' demographics:
| Certified Physician Assistant | Certified Medical Assistant/Certified Nurse Assistant | |
| Average age | 39 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5% | Male, 10.5% Female, 89.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 7% |