Orthopedic assistant vs assistant

The differences between orthopedic assistants and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an orthopedic assistant, becoming an assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an orthopedic assistant has an average salary of $55,766, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.

The top three skills for an orthopedic assistant include patients, patient care and EMR. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Orthopedic assistant vs assistant overview

	Orthopedic Assistant	Assistant
Yearly salary	$55,766	$37,363
Hourly rate	$26.81	$17.96
Growth rate	16%	-8%
Number of jobs	49,054	557,900
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	37	50
Years of experience	12	2

Orthopedic assistant vs assistant salary

Orthopedic assistants and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Orthopedic Assistant	Assistant
Average salary	$55,766	$37,363
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $86,000	Between $16,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Latham & Watkins
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between orthopedic assistant and assistant education

There are a few differences between an orthopedic assistant and an assistant in terms of educational background:

	Orthopedic Assistant	Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	-	Western Carolina University

Orthopedic assistant vs assistant demographics

Here are the differences between orthopedic assistants' and assistants' demographics:

	Orthopedic Assistant	Assistant
Average age	37	50
Gender ratio	Male, 45.4% Female, 54.6%	Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 9.0% White, 57.2% 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	6%	6%

Differences between orthopedic assistant and assistant duties and responsibilities

Orthopedic assistant example responsibilities.

Manage patient files by making new charts, keying all encounters through ICD-9 coding procedures and posting in patient database.
Perform physical examinations of patients and conduct their medical interviews.
Apply and remove casts and splints to fractures.
Interpret radiographs, bone scans and MRI's.
Sterilize instruments and perform spore testing; ensure OSHA and HIPAA compliance.
Cast room technician, apply upper and lower extremity splints and braces to adults and children.

Assistant example responsibilities.

Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.

Orthopedic assistant vs assistant skills

Common orthopedic assistant skills

Patients, 35%
Patient Care, 15%
EMR, 6%
Injections, 5%
Traction, 5%
Splints, 5%

Common assistant skills

Patients, 27%
Customer Service, 13%
Patient Care, 8%
CPR, 5%
Sales Floor, 5%
Scheduling Appointments, 3%