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The differences between operating room assistants and geriatric nursing assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both an operating room assistant and a geriatric nursing assistant. Additionally, a geriatric nursing assistant has an average salary of $34,595, which is higher than the $34,177 average annual salary of an operating room assistant.
The top three skills for an operating room assistant include patients, surgery and anesthesia. The most important skills for a geriatric nursing assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and vital signs.
| Operating Room Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,177 | $34,595 |
| Hourly rate | $16.43 | $16.63 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 218,839 | 137,681 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 23% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
An operating room assistant works alongside the surgeons in maintaining the orderly and sterile nature of operating rooms. The assistant ensures that all surgical equipment is clean and hygienic, all monitoring equipment is functional, and everything needed by the doctor is present inside the operating room. The assistant position is vital during an operation. The surgeon may become too focused on the operation at hand that helpful assistants must ensure an operation's smooth flow.
A geriatric nursing assistant is responsible for assisting elderly patients with their daily activities in a health care institution or private household setting. Geriatric nursing assistants monitor the patients' conditions, maintain an organized record of medical charts, administer medications, and update the attending physician for any health concerns. They also guide the patients with their doctor appointments, process medical documents, and coordinate with medical staff for medical procedures and payments. A geriatric nursing assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills to ensure high-quality care services for the patients and help them improve their lifestyle.
Operating room assistants and geriatric nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operating Room Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,177 | $34,595 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $43,000 | Between $25,000 And $46,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Monica, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Careerstaff Unlimited - A Genesis Healthcare Company |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an operating room assistant and a geriatric nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Operating Room Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 23% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between operating room assistants' and geriatric nursing assistants' demographics:
| Operating Room Assistant | Geriatric Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.8% Female, 53.2% | Male, 13.4% Female, 86.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 20.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |