Orthopedic assistant vs unit assistant

The differences between orthopedic assistants and unit assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an orthopedic assistant and a unit assistant. Additionally, an orthopedic assistant has an average salary of $55,766, which is higher than the $33,802 average annual salary of a unit assistant.

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

Orthopedic assistant vs unit assistant overview

	Orthopedic Assistant	Unit Assistant
Yearly salary	$55,766	$33,802
Hourly rate	$26.81	$16.25
Growth rate	16%	16%
Number of jobs	49,054	174,425
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

Orthopedic assistant vs unit assistant salary

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

	Orthopedic Assistant	Unit Assistant
Average salary	$55,766	$33,802
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $86,000	Between $25,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Westfield, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	UC Santa Barbara
Best paying industry	-	Non Profits

Differences between orthopedic assistant and unit assistant education

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

	Orthopedic Assistant	Unit Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Orthopedic assistant vs unit assistant demographics

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

	Orthopedic Assistant	Unit Assistant
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 45.4% Female, 54.6%	Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%
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, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 9.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between orthopedic assistant and unit 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.

Unit assistant example responsibilities.

Manage Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Carry out necessary duties for post surgery patients which result in quicker test results and recovery time for patients.
Follow HIPAA laws and assist patients.
Qualify in 12 lead EKG's, and applying 6 lead telemetry monitors.
Report any personal or medical complaints and concerns of the patients to the supervising nursing and rehabilitation staff members.
Assist patients in activities of daily living, assist in rehabilitation of patients, doctors & nurses in ER department.

Orthopedic assistant vs unit assistant skills

Common orthopedic assistant skills

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

Common unit assistant skills

Patients, 37%
Customer Service, 8%
HIPAA, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%
Medical Terminology, 5%
ADL, 4%

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Zippia Careers
Healthcare Support Industry
Orthopedic Assistant
Orthopedic Assistant vs Unit Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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