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The differences between orthodontic assistants and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an orthodontic assistant and an assistant. Additionally, an orthodontic assistant has an average salary of $49,768, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.
The top three skills for an orthodontic assistant include patients, HIPAA and patient care. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Orthodontic Assistant | Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $49,768 | $37,363 |
| Hourly rate | $23.93 | $17.96 |
| Growth rate | 8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 55,933 | 557,900 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 23% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 38 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An Orthodontic Assistant works under the supervision of an orthodontist. They prepare the appointment rooms prior to patients visits, take the patients oral health history, assess patients through examining them, and determine their needs for orthodontic care.
An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.
Orthodontic assistants and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Orthodontic Assistant | Assistant | |
| Average salary | $49,768 | $37,363 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $96,000 | Between $16,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | LCMC Health | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Education |
There are a few differences between an orthodontic assistant and an assistant in terms of educational background:
| Orthodontic Assistant | Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 23% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Dental Assisting | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between orthodontic assistants' and assistants' demographics:
| Orthodontic Assistant | Assistant | |
| Average age | 38 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 8.4% Female, 91.6% | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |