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The differences between medical assistants and medical assistant instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical assistant and a medical assistant instructor. Additionally, a medical assistant instructor has an average salary of $40,698, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a medical assistant include patients, vital signs and patient care. The most important skills for a medical assistant instructor are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Medical Assistant | Medical Assistant Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $34,900 | $40,698 |
| Hourly rate | $16.78 | $19.57 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 189,915 | 180,025 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 24% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
An assistant medical instructor is responsible for supporting medical instructors in teaching medical students for programs and processes, depending on their area of expertise. Assistant medical instructors handle the preparation of learning materials and other related resources according to the class level and curriculum. They also serve as a liaison between the instructor and the students to respond with inquiries and concerns, resolve learning difficulties, and document examinations. An assistant medical instructor must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in maintaining organized student records and updating the grading system as needed.
Medical assistants and medical assistant instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Assistant | Medical Assistant Instructor | |
| Average salary | $34,900 | $40,698 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $43,000 | Between $27,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Framingham, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | Erlanger Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a medical assistant and a medical assistant instructor in terms of educational background:
| Medical Assistant | Medical Assistant Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 24% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between medical assistants' and medical assistant instructors' demographics:
| Medical Assistant | Medical Assistant Instructor | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% | Male, 18.6% Female, 81.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.2% Asian, 9.8% White, 50.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |