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The differences between nurse technicians and clinical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-3 months to become a nurse technician, becoming a clinical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a nurse technician has an average salary of $33,005, which is higher than the $30,215 average annual salary of a clinical assistant.
The top three skills for a nurse technician include patients, CPR and vital signs. The most important skills for a clinical assistant are patients, customer service, and PET.
| Nurse Technician | Clinical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,005 | $30,215 |
| Hourly rate | $15.87 | $14.53 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 195,553 | 101,926 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 12 |
Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.
A clinical assistant is responsible for assisting medical professionals with medical procedures and ensure a high level of patient care. Clinical assistants perform minor clinic procedures such as taking patients' temperature, sterilizing medical equipment, proper dumping of disposable items, responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, processing payments, arranging appointment schedules, and maintaining an organized record of patients' information, such as their medical history and health insurance records. A clinical assistant must strictly adhere to sanitary and hygienic procedures at all times to promote a safe and clean environment for the patients.
Nurse technicians and clinical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nurse Technician | Clinical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,005 | $30,215 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $40,000 | Between $13,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Brockton, MA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Carondelet High School | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a nurse technician and a clinical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Nurse Technician | Clinical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between nurse technicians' and clinical assistants' demographics:
| Nurse Technician | Clinical Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1% | Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |