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The differences between medical specialists 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 medical specialist and a medical assistant. Additionally, a medical specialist has an average salary of $40,277, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a medical specialist include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Medical Specialist | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $40,277 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $19.36 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 68,607 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Medical specialists are responsible for diagnosing patients and performing medical procedures according to their areas of expertise. They coordinate with the clinical team on administering medications, conducting laboratory examinations, and monitoring admitted patients, ensuring that they receive high-quality care services from the medical staff. A medical specialist also communicates with the patients' families to respond to their medical inquiries and concerns, as well as providing them with updates on the patients' progress. A medical specialist observes the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities at all times, including the inspection of medical tools and equipment for operations.
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.
Medical specialists and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Specialist | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $40,277 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $75,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Adobe | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical specialist and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Specialist | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between medical specialists' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Medical Specialist | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 9.0% White, 55.4% 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 Percentage | 6% | 6% |