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The differences between ekg technicians 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 an ekg technician, becoming a medical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an ekg technician has an average salary of $35,160, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for an ekg technician include patients, BLS and patient care. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| EKG Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,160 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $16.90 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 52,679 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 27% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 45 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
An EKG technician is responsible for conducting laboratory tests using advanced equipment and machines to diagnose and identify patients' conditions with cardiovascular problems. EKG technicians must have excellent knowledge of the process to discuss the procedures and respond to the patients' inquiries and concerns accurately. They help the doctors in diagnosing patients and developing treatment plans upon the interpretation of the results. An EKG technician inspects the stability and efficiency of the equipment regularly to prevent delays and inconsistencies with the results.
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.
Ekg technicians and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| EKG Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $35,160 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $43,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, OR | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | North Dakota | Alaska |
| Best paying company | UC Merced | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an ekg technician and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| EKG Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 27% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | Emory University | - |
Here are the differences between ekg technicians' and medical assistants' demographics:
| EKG Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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% |