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The differences between pathologist assistants and clinical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a pathologist assistant and a clinical assistant. Additionally, a pathologist assistant has an average salary of $50,079, which is higher than the $30,215 average annual salary of a clinical assistant.
The top three skills for a pathologist assistant include ASCP, patients and PA. The most important skills for a clinical assistant are patients, customer service, and PET.
| Pathologist Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $50,079 | $30,215 |
| Hourly rate | $24.08 | $14.53 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 62,900 | 101,926 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A pathologist assistant is responsible for helping pathologists in conducting laboratory investigations by studying human specimens and surgical biopsies for diagnosis and identify a person's cause of death. Pathologist assistants perform autopsy functions under the supervision of the pathologist, following the strict safety protocols and regulations. They must have excellent organizational skills, especially in operating various equipment to prevent potential hazards and disease contamination. A pathologist assistant creates a comprehensive report of findings for the pathologist's review before releasing the final records.
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.
Pathologist assistants and clinical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pathologist Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $50,079 | $30,215 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $101,000 | Between $13,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Brockton, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Essentia Health | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a pathologist assistant and a clinical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Pathologist Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between pathologist assistants' and clinical assistants' demographics:
| Pathologist Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.4% Female, 60.6% | Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 6% | 6% |