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The differences between dental assistant/receptionists and medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a dental assistant/receptionist, becoming a medical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a dental assistant/receptionist has an average salary of $38,823, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a dental assistant/receptionist include patients, customer service and dental procedures. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,823 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $18.66 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 80,317 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A dental assistant/receptionist is responsible for managing dental appointments, including scheduling or canceling patients' dental sessions. Dental assistants/receptionists inform patients ahead of time if the dentist is out to reschedule another appointment. They also process payments, respond to customer's inquiries about dental services the clinic offers, updating patient information on the database, and creating a patient chart and visiting records for the dental staff's reference. A dental assistant/receptionist must have excellent communication and organization skills to assist patients efficiently and perform administrative tasks as needed.
Medical assistants provide support to medical practitioners in both administrative and clerical tasks. They keep and update the patient's medical records, administer medicines under the supervision of a physician, assist during medical examinations, prepare medical samples for laboratory testing, manage the schedule of appointments, and assist the patients with their bills and in filling out needed forms, such as insurance-related documents. Medical assistants should have good communication skills and analytical skills, be organized, and be flexible. They should also have knowledge of how to operate some medical equipment such as x-ray machines.
Dental assistant/receptionists and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,823 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $57,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Minneapolis, MN | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Mount Sinai Health System | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dental assistant/receptionist and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between dental assistant/receptionists' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Dental Assistant/Receptionist | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.7% Female, 93.3% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 24.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 49.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |