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The differences between health assistants and patient care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a patient care technician has an average salary of $32,806, which is higher than the $31,960 average annual salary of a health assistant.
The top three skills for a health assistant include patients, CPR and customer service. The most important skills for a patient care technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.
| Health Assistant | Patient Care Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $31,960 | $32,806 |
| Hourly rate | $15.37 | $15.77 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 100,084 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 37 | 34 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
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.
Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.
Health assistants and patient care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Assistant | Patient Care Technician | |
| Average salary | $31,960 | $32,806 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $43,000 | Between $24,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cambridge, MA | Rochester, NH |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a health assistant and a patient care technician in terms of educational background:
| Health Assistant | Patient Care Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | Emory University |
Here are the differences between health assistants' and patient care technicians' demographics:
| Health Assistant | Patient Care Technician | |
| Average age | 37 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.9% Female, 82.1% | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 15% |