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The differences between clinical assistants and certified nursing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a clinical assistant, becoming a certified nursing assistant takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a certified nursing assistant has an average salary of $32,597, which is higher than the $30,215 average annual salary of a clinical assistant.
The top three skills for a clinical assistant include patients, customer service and PET. The most important skills for a certified nursing assistant are patients, vital signs, and home health.
| Clinical Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,215 | $32,597 |
| Hourly rate | $14.53 | $15.67 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 101,926 | 225,834 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.12 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 3 |
A clinical assistant is responsible for assisting medical professionals with medical procedures and ensure a high level of patient care. Clinical assistants perform minor clinic procedures such as taking patients' temperature, sterilizing medical equipment, proper dumping of disposable items, responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, processing payments, arranging appointment schedules, and maintaining an organized record of patients' information, such as their medical history and health insurance records. A clinical assistant must strictly adhere to sanitary and hygienic procedures at all times to promote a safe and clean environment for the patients.
A certified nursing assistant generally assists patients in their healthcare needs and medical procedures. They support patients in their daily activities by monitoring patients' temperature and food intake, ensuring the cleanliness of the patient's room, and keeping documentation of patients' conditions for reference of nurses and doctors. A certified nursing assistant should also communicate with patients' families and provide updates as often as needed. It is also important that a nursing assistant is patient and compassionate enough to attend to direct patient needs, which could get demanding or challenging at times.
Clinical assistants and certified nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,215 | $32,597 |
| Salary range | Between $13,000 And $66,000 | Between $24,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brockton, MA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Valley Presbyterian Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical assistant and a certified nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between clinical assistants' and certified nursing assistants' demographics:
| Clinical Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 7% |