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The differences between clinical medical assistants and medical research 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 medical assistant and a medical research assistant. Additionally, a medical research assistant has an average salary of $40,303, which is higher than the $37,052 average annual salary of a clinical medical assistant.
The top three skills for a clinical medical assistant include patients, patient care and vital signs. The most important skills for a medical research assistant are patients, patient care, and DR.
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $37,052 | $40,303 |
| Hourly rate | $17.81 | $19.38 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 233,464 | 125,533 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A medical research assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar environment. Their responsibilities include gathering and organizing samples, preparing the laboratories and other facilities, compiling and managing data, updating databases, and conducting examinations and analysis, all while adhering to the laboratory's policies and regulations. They may also liaise with clients, answering inquiries as necessary. Furthermore, it is vital to maintain an active line with researchers, coordinating with them every step of the way to ensure an efficient workflow.
Clinical medical assistants and medical research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $37,052 | $40,303 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Worcester, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Norton Rose Fulbright |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a clinical medical assistant and a medical research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between clinical medical assistants' and medical research assistants' demographics:
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.8% Female, 89.2% | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |