Clinical assistant vs patient care technician

The differences between clinical assistants and patient care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a patient care technician has an average salary of $32,806, 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 patient care technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.

Clinical assistant vs patient care technician overview

	Clinical Assistant	Patient Care Technician
Yearly salary	$30,215	$32,806
Hourly rate	$14.53	$15.77
Growth rate	16%	9%
Number of jobs	101,926	167,520
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Average age	37	34
Years of experience	12	-

What does a clinical assistant do?

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.

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

Clinical assistant vs patient care technician salary

Clinical assistants and patient care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Assistant	Patient Care Technician
Average salary	$30,215	$32,806
Salary range	Between $13,000 And $66,000	Between $24,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	Rochester, NH
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Vermont
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between clinical assistant and patient care technician education

There are a few differences between a clinical assistant and a patient care technician in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Assistant	Patient Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Most common major	Psychology	Nursing
Most common college	-	Emory University

Clinical assistant vs patient care technician demographics

Here are the differences between clinical assistants' and patient care technicians' demographics:

	Clinical Assistant	Patient Care Technician
Average age	37	34
Gender ratio	Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
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, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	15%

Differences between clinical assistant and patient care technician duties and responsibilities

Clinical assistant example responsibilities.

Participate in multiple studies managing CTM activities for various therapeutic areas simultaneously including oncology, urology, transplant, and immunology.
Interview patients and interpret EKG recordings transmit via telephone.
Maintain CPR certification on yearly basis and perform errands as per the instructions of supervisor.
Act as a paramedic including CPR, heart defibrillator, first aid, emergency care.
Schedule necessary test such as nerve conductions studies, bone scans, and MRI's.
Conduct mini-meetings with small groups of doctors to encourage them to take ownership of their EMR forms.

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Clinical assistant vs patient care technician skills

Common clinical assistant skills

Patients, 28%
Customer Service, 10%
PET, 8%
Vital Signs, 6%
CPR, 3%
Phlebotomy, 3%

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Clinical Assistant vs. similar jobs

Clinical Assistant related careers

Clinical Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Support Industry
Clinical Assistant
Clinical Assistant vs Patient Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare support jobs