General surgery physician assistant vs clinical physician assistant

The differences between general surgery physician assistants and clinical physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a general surgery physician assistant has an average salary of $228,104, which is higher than the $145,549 average annual salary of a clinical physician assistant.

The top three skills for a general surgery physician assistant include patients, plastic surgery and patient care. The most important skills for a clinical physician assistant are patients, primary care, and medical care.

General surgery physician assistant vs clinical physician assistant overview

	General Surgery Physician Assistant	Clinical Physician Assistant
Yearly salary	$228,104	$145,549
Hourly rate	$109.67	$69.98
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	81,744	94,210
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a general surgery physician assistant do?

A General Surgery Physician Assistant helps surgeon with various tasks, such as inserting tubes, retracting issues, starting intravenous solutions, and others. They also write orders for patients while they are in the recovery room, as well as examine and monitor patients as they recover from their surgeries.

What does a clinical physician assistant do?

A clinical physician assistant is in charge of performing support tasks in clinics, hospitals, and similar establishments. Typically serving as the patients' first point of contact, it is their responsibility to gather the personal and medical information of patients, identify their needs, answer inquiries, and escort them to offices and other rooms. They may also perform clerical tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, preparing and filing documentation, and coordinating with other offices. Moreover, a clinical physician assistant must maintain an active communication line with physicians and nurses, assisting them as needed.

General surgery physician assistant vs clinical physician assistant salary

General surgery physician assistants and clinical physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Surgery Physician Assistant	Clinical Physician Assistant
Average salary	$228,104	$145,549
Salary range	Between $118,000 And $439,000	Between $84,000 And $252,000
Highest paying City	Montclair, CA	Duluth, MN
Highest paying state	California	Minnesota
Best paying company	Beaufort Memorial Hospital	Central Ohio Primary Care
Best paying industry	Professional	Non Profits

Differences between general surgery physician assistant and clinical physician assistant education

There are a few differences between a general surgery physician assistant and a clinical physician assistant in terms of educational background:

	General Surgery Physician Assistant	Clinical Physician Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Physician Assistant	Physician Assistant
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

General surgery physician assistant vs clinical physician assistant demographics

Here are the differences between general surgery physician assistants' and clinical physician assistants' demographics:

	General Surgery Physician Assistant	Clinical Physician Assistant
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%	Male, 38.0% Female, 62.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 11.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.5% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between general surgery physician assistant and clinical physician assistant duties and responsibilities

General surgery physician assistant example responsibilities.

Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Develop basic surgical skills, such as suturing, retracting of tissue; debridement of wounds.
Order, perform, and interpret laboratory and radiology test within the scope of professional practice.
Educate patients on post-operative recovery and discharge needs.
Evaluate patients for admission from the emergency room and perform inpatient consultations.
Monitor stress testing; review nuclear component of stress images; conduct cardiology consultations inpatient and outpatient settings.

Clinical physician assistant example responsibilities.

Implement and manage cardiology internship college course.
Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Complete nursing assessments, complete care plans, perform ADL's, utilize lifts, alarms and transfer patients safely.
Care for multiple patients in a fast pace setting and provide total care including all treatments, medications and ADL's.
Perform tracheostomy care and suctioning for ventilator dependent patients.
Provide physical therapy services in the inpatient rehabilitation unit and oncology floor.

General surgery physician assistant vs clinical physician assistant skills

Common general surgery physician assistant skills

Patients, 34%
Plastic Surgery, 20%
Patient Care, 13%
Physician Assistants, 6%
Surgical Procedures, 4%
Physical Examinations, 3%

Common clinical physician assistant skills

Patients, 30%
Primary Care, 6%
Medical Care, 6%
Family Medicine, 5%
Urgent Care, 5%
Diagnostic Tests, 4%

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General Surgery Physician Assistant
General Surgery Physician Assistant vs Clinical Physician Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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