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The differences between clinical medical assistants and nurses 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 medical assistant, becoming a nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, 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 nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $37,052 | $57,564 |
| Hourly rate | $17.81 | $27.68 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 233,464 | 696,124 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.
Clinical medical assistants and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Nurse | |
| Average salary | $37,052 | $57,564 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $46,000 | Between $38,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Conviva |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a clinical medical assistant and a nurse in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 27% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | Duke University |
Here are the differences between clinical medical assistants' and nurses' demographics:
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Nurse | |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.8% Female, 89.2% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |