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The differences between pathologist assistants and lead medical 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 lead medical assistant. Additionally, a pathologist assistant has an average salary of $50,079, which is higher than the $38,303 average annual salary of a lead medical assistant.
The top three skills for a pathologist assistant include ASCP, patients and PA. The most important skills for a lead medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Pathologist Assistant | Lead Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $50,079 | $38,303 |
| Hourly rate | $24.08 | $18.41 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 62,900 | 163,228 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| 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 lead medical assistant performs administrative support tasks for clinical teams to provide optimal care and services to patients. They work under the supervision of a clinical manager whom they report to regularly. Among their responsibilities include establishing staff schedules and guidelines, conducting research and analysis, coordinating staff, reviewing medical charts and reports, organizing documents, and training new members of the workforce. Moreover, they may also assist patients by answering inquiries, performing follow-up calls to confirm appointment schedules, and preparing patients by giving them the information they need.
Pathologist assistants and lead medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pathologist Assistant | Lead Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $50,079 | $38,303 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $101,000 | Between $23,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | Essentia Health | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a pathologist assistant and a lead medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Pathologist Assistant | Lead Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between pathologist assistants' and lead medical assistants' demographics:
| Pathologist Assistant | Lead Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.4% Female, 60.6% | Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 26.6% Asian, 8.7% White, 49.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |