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The differences between dialysis technicians and 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 dialysis technician and a medical assistant. Additionally, a dialysis technician has an average salary of $40,195, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a dialysis technician include patients, vital signs and direct patient care. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Dialysis Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,195 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $19.32 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 100,653 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A dialysis technician is responsible for the control and maintenance of a dialysis machine. Dialysis technicians' duties include monitoring the stable performance of the equipment, assisting patients on the dialysis process, and adhering to the safety standards and protocols on the dialysis operation all the time. A dialysis technician also reports to the respective doctors and nurses for any concerns and possible emergency scenarios. Dialysis technicians must also sterilize all equipment before usage to ensure its cleanliness, avoiding possible infection for patients.
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.
Dialysis technicians and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dialysis Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,195 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fresno, CA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | American Mobile Healthcare | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a dialysis technician and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Dialysis Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | - |
Here are the differences between dialysis technicians' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Dialysis Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.1% Female, 74.9% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 56.5% 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 | 8% | 6% |