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The differences between clinical assistants and clinical medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a clinical assistant and a clinical medical assistant. Additionally, a clinical medical assistant has an average salary of $37,052, 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 clinical medical assistant are patients, patient care, and vital signs.
| Clinical Assistant | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,215 | $37,052 |
| Hourly rate | $14.53 | $17.81 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 101,926 | 233,464 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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 clinical medical assistant specializes in performing administrative and clinical tasks in a hospital or similar setting. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's information, medical history, test results, and other essential documentation, and updating patient medical records. Other tasks include reaching out to patients' families and guardians, assisting health workers with room preparation and patient care, and preparing medications and other treatments, all in adherence to a physician's directives. Furthermore, a clinical medical assistant may conduct inspections to ensure that the hospital complies with government regulations.
Clinical assistants and clinical medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Assistant | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,215 | $37,052 |
| Salary range | Between $13,000 And $66,000 | Between $29,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brockton, MA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical assistant and a clinical medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Assistant | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between clinical assistants' and clinical medical assistants' demographics:
| Clinical Assistant | Clinical Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6% | Male, 10.8% Female, 89.2% |
| 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, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |