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The differences between licensed nursing assistants and medication aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a licensed nursing assistant and a medication aide. Additionally, a licensed nursing assistant has an average salary of $41,395, which is higher than the $40,799 average annual salary of a medication aide.
The top three skills for a licensed nursing assistant include patients, vital signs and LNA. The most important skills for a medication aide are compassion, resident care, and state regulations.
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Medication Aide | |
| Yearly salary | $41,395 | $40,799 |
| Hourly rate | $19.90 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 258,713 | 275,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | High School Diploma, 23% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
A licensed or certified nursing assistant (CNA) is a healthcare professional who is responsible for providing basic health care to patients in medical settings. Under the supervision of a registered nurse, licensed nursing assistants help in repositioning bedridden patients as well as take vital signs of patients such as temperature and blood pressure. They can work with medical technology such as billing, health information, and medical recording charting software. Depending on their level of training and state regulations, licensed nursing staff can also administer medication to patients.
A medication aide is a healthcare professional who is responsible for administering medication to patients daily in a hospital or medical facility. As certified nursing assistants, medication aides should possess knowledge of patient care procedures so that they can coordinate with different nurses to deliver them. They follow written or verbal instructions from physicians on how to manage their patients' medications. Medication aides are also required to observe their patients and document changes in their conditions.
Licensed nursing assistants and medication aides have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Medication Aide | |
| Average salary | $41,395 | $40,799 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $56,000 | Between $33,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | Madison, WI |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Cornerstone VNA | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a licensed nursing assistant and a medication aide in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Medication Aide | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 25% | High School Diploma, 23% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between licensed nursing assistants' and medication aides' demographics:
| Licensed Nursing Assistant | Medication Aide | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.0% Female, 90.0% | Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 6.5% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |