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The differences between pathologist 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 a pathologist assistant and a unit assistant. Additionally, a pathologist assistant has an average salary of $50,079, which is higher than the $33,802 average annual salary of a unit assistant.
The top three skills for a pathologist assistant include ASCP, patients and PA. The most important skills for a unit assistant are patients, customer service, and HIPAA.
| Pathologist Assistant | Unit Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $50,079 | $33,802 |
| Hourly rate | $24.08 | $16.25 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 62,900 | 174,425 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| 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 unit assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties within a department of a health care institution, ensuring that the patients receive the highest quality care services for their concerns and needs. Unit assistants assist the patients and the visitors, confirm their appointments, and direct them to the correct personnel or medical department. They also manage the adequacy of medical supplies and report defective equipment and machine to the maintenance for immediate repairs or replacements. A unit assistant must be highly organizational, especially on storing medical records and updating patients' information on the database.
Pathologist assistants and unit assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pathologist Assistant | Unit Assistant | |
| Average salary | $50,079 | $33,802 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $101,000 | Between $25,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Westfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Essentia Health | UC Santa Barbara |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a pathologist assistant and a unit assistant in terms of educational background:
| Pathologist Assistant | Unit Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between pathologist assistants' and unit assistants' demographics:
| Pathologist Assistant | Unit Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.4% Female, 60.6% | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% |
| 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, 10.0% 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% |