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The differences between pathologist assistants and 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 medical assistant. Additionally, a pathologist assistant has an average salary of $50,079, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a pathologist assistant include ASCP, patients and PA. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Pathologist Assistant | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $50,079 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $24.08 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 62,900 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| 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.
Medical assistants provide support to medical practitioners in both administrative and clerical tasks. They keep and update the patient's medical records, administer medicines under the supervision of a physician, assist during medical examinations, prepare medical samples for laboratory testing, manage the schedule of appointments, and assist the patients with their bills and in filling out needed forms, such as insurance-related documents. Medical assistants should have good communication skills and analytical skills, be organized, and be flexible. They should also have knowledge of how to operate some medical equipment such as x-ray machines.
Pathologist assistants and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pathologist Assistant | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $50,079 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $101,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Essentia Health | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a pathologist assistant and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Pathologist Assistant | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between pathologist assistants' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Pathologist Assistant | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.4% Female, 60.6% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 49.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |