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Hemodialysis technician vs medical assistant

The differences between hemodialysis 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 hemodialysis technician and a medical assistant. Additionally, a hemodialysis technician has an average salary of $39,723, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.

The top three skills for a hemodialysis technician include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.

Hemodialysis technician vs medical assistant overview

Hemodialysis TechnicianMedical Assistant
Yearly salary$39,723$34,900
Hourly rate$19.10$16.78
Growth rate9%16%
Number of jobs73,669189,915
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 27%Associate Degree, 24%
Average age4437
Years of experience1212

Hemodialysis technician vs medical assistant salary

Hemodialysis technicians and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Hemodialysis TechnicianMedical Assistant
Average salary$39,723$34,900
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $53,000Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying CityWatsonville, CAVancouver, WA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaAlaska
Best paying companyMount Sinai Health SystemColumbia University in the City of New York
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between hemodialysis technician and medical assistant education

There are a few differences between a hemodialysis technician and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:

Hemodialysis TechnicianMedical Assistant
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 27%Associate Degree, 24%
Most common majorNursingMedical Assisting Services
Most common collegeUniversity of Connecticut-

Hemodialysis technician vs medical assistant demographics

Here are the differences between hemodialysis technicians' and medical assistants' demographics:

Hemodialysis TechnicianMedical Assistant
Average age4437
Gender ratioMale, 23.0% Female, 77.0%Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 11.2% White, 54.1% 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 Percentage8%6%

Differences between hemodialysis technician and medical assistant duties and responsibilities

Hemodialysis technician example responsibilities.

  • Maintain national certification as CCHT and attain CE's as required.
  • Monitor patients receiving hemodialysis, analyze individual patient response to treatment, and change plan of care accordingly.
  • Provide all facets of direct care to patients receiving dialysis treatments including bandaging and administering normal saline and heparin.
  • Start dialysis by inserting needles into patient's site or catheter and connecting to machines.
  • Water check, setting up machines, monitoring blood pressures, performing CPR, making bicarb/acid.
  • Prepare and administer heparin medications.
  • Show more

Medical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
  • Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
  • Participate in emergency surgical intervention in obstetrics and gynecology patients.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in taking patient history and vitals, venipuncture, injections, urinalysis and preparing examination trays.
  • Attend to new out patients in gynecology clinic, make clinical diagnosis and follow up.
  • Provide RMA support to physician, and patients, including but not limit to vitals and patient history.
  • Show more

Hemodialysis technician vs medical assistant skills

Common hemodialysis technician skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Vital Signs, 12%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Direct Patient Care, 8%
  • Infection Control, 8%
  • Blood Samples, 5%
Common medical assistant skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Vital Signs, 10%
  • Patient Care, 9%
  • Phlebotomy, 4%
  • CPR, 4%
  • EKG, 4%

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