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The differences between medical assistants and medical laboratory 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 medical assistant and a medical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a medical assistant has an average salary of $34,900, which is higher than the $34,673 average annual salary of a medical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a medical assistant include patients, vital signs and patient care. The most important skills for a medical laboratory assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,900 | $34,673 |
| Hourly rate | $16.78 | $16.67 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 189,915 | 124,322 |
| 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.
A medical laboratory assistant is in charge of performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a more experienced medical technician or scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around collecting samples such as blood and tissues, preparing slides, running tests using machines and equipment, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. Furthermore, a medical laboratory assistant must also keep the cleanliness of the laboratory, organize and monitor inventories, procure supplies, and implement the laboratory's policies and regulations.
Medical assistants and medical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,900 | $34,673 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $43,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Eugene, OR |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Columbia University in the City of New York | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical assistant and a medical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| 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 laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% | Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |