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The differences between medication aides and certified medical 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 medication aide and a certified medical aide. Additionally, a medication aide has an average salary of $40,799, which is higher than the $32,675 average annual salary of a certified medical aide.
The top three skills for a medication aide include compassion, resident care and state regulations. The most important skills for a certified medical aide are vital signs, CMA, and state regulations.
| Medication Aide | Certified Medical Aide | |
| Yearly salary | $40,799 | $32,675 |
| Hourly rate | $19.61 | $15.71 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 275,582 | 235,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 23% | Associate Degree, 25% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
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.
A certified medical aide's role is to assist registered nurses in providing care and assistance to patients. Among their responsibilities include administering medication to patients under the nurses' supervision, monitoring medication schedules and intakes, recording vital signs and other information, and observing the patients' behavior or progress, reporting to the nurses regularly. They may also assist medical staff in performing clerical tasks or transporting patients. Furthermore, a certified medical aide must respond to the needs of patients while adhering to the safety policies and standards.
Medication aides and certified medical aides have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medication Aide | Certified Medical Aide | |
| Average salary | $40,799 | $32,675 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $50,000 | Between $25,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Madison, WI | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company | The Blake School |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Media |
There are a few differences between a medication aide and a certified medical aide in terms of educational background:
| Medication Aide | Certified Medical Aide | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 23% | Associate Degree, 25% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between medication aides' and certified medical aides' demographics:
| Medication Aide | Certified Medical Aide | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3% | Male, 13.2% Female, 86.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |