Post job

Health assistant vs home health assistant

The differences between health assistants and home health assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health assistant has an average salary of $31,960, which is higher than the $31,161 average annual salary of a home health assistant.

The top three skills for a health assistant include patients, CPR and customer service. The most important skills for a home health assistant are home health, patients, and rehabilitation.

Health assistant vs home health assistant overview

Health AssistantHome Health Assistant
Yearly salary$31,960$31,161
Hourly rate$15.37$14.98
Growth rate16%36%
Number of jobs100,084213,220
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age3750
Years of experience12-

What does a health assistant do?

A health assistant is responsible for providing quality care for the patients under the supervision of registered nurses and attending physicians. Health assistants perform basic medical procedures, such as collecting specimens for examinations, checking the patients' conditions, and administering required medications. They also assist health care professionals in conducting complex medical processes by preparing the equipment and ensuring the cleanliness of the operating room. A health assistant keeps an organized record of medical charts for the doctor's reference and may also coordinate with the patient's family for medical updates.

What does a home health assistant do?

People with disabilities, severe illnesses, cognitive diseases, or age-related issues regularly need medical healthcare, and if they prefer to receive care in their own home, a home health assistant is their caregiver. Home health assistants provide basic services such as checking vital organs, blood pressure, and temperature. They also administer medications, and in cases of injuries, tend wounds and change bandages. They are generally supervised by a medical professional, to whom they give reports.

Health assistant vs home health assistant salary

Health assistants and home health assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Health AssistantHome Health Assistant
Average salary$31,960$31,161
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $43,000Between $20,000 And $46,000
Highest paying CityCambridge, MAWest Springfield Town, MA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsRhode Island
Best paying companyBoston Public SchoolsJPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industryGovernmentHealth Care

Differences between health assistant and home health assistant education

There are a few differences between a health assistant and a home health assistant in terms of educational background:

Health AssistantHome Health Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Health assistant vs home health assistant demographics

Here are the differences between health assistants' and home health assistants' demographics:

Health AssistantHome Health Assistant
Average age3750
Gender ratioMale, 17.9% Female, 82.1%Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.5% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 24.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 35.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage6%5%

Differences between health assistant and home health assistant duties and responsibilities

Health assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
  • Review and do compliance of school health records in NYC public schools to ensure adherence to protocols and for quality control.
  • Study correlation of high incarceration rates and community health indicators in NYC neighborhoods
  • Provide breastfeeding promotion to all WIC women as the preferred infant feeding method.
  • Learned how to triage campers during health center hours on a case to case basis.
  • Perform diagnostic procedure including but not limit to EKG's, urine dipsticks, etc.
  • Show more

Home health assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
  • Assist bed bound and hospice patients with their ADL, assistance with NG tube feeding, providing proper care for comfort.
  • Assist the patient with ADL'S (bathing, showering, grooming, mouth/denture care, dressing and undressing).
  • Assist elderly and disable patients under direct supervision of license physician and nursing staff.
  • Provide patients and families with emotional support and instruction living independently, or adapting to disability or illness.
  • Present peer to peer health education and provide administrative support to student health center including filing medical records using HIPPA compliant procedures

Health assistant vs home health assistant skills

Common health assistant skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • CPR, 10%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Vital Signs, 5%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Health Services, 4%
Common home health assistant skills
  • Home Health, 28%
  • Patients, 21%
  • Rehabilitation, 9%
  • Physical Therapy, 6%
  • Compassionate Care, 4%
  • CPR, 4%

Browse healthcare support jobs