Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between laboratory phlebotomists 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 a laboratory phlebotomist, becoming a medical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical assistant has an average salary of $34,900, which is higher than the $33,951 average annual salary of a laboratory phlebotomist.
The top three skills for a laboratory phlebotomist include patients, customer service and specimen collection. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Laboratory Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,951 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $16.32 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 48,645 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 41 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A laboratory phlebotomist is primarily in charge of drawing and processing blood samples from patients and clients for laboratory analysis. They must also perform clerical tasks such as maintaining records of all procedures and results, producing laboratory reports, responding to inquiries, answering calls and correspondence, and liaising with external parties such as vendors and suppliers. Furthermore, as a laboratory phlebotomist, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with laboratory and hospital staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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.
Laboratory phlebotomists and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,951 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $45,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a laboratory phlebotomist and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between laboratory phlebotomists' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Laboratory Phlebotomist | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 41 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |