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The differences between patients transporters and care associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a patients transporter and a care associate. Additionally, a care associate has an average salary of $32,558, which is higher than the $29,476 average annual salary of a patients transporter.
The top three skills for a patients transporter include patients, customer service and CPR. The most important skills for a care associate are patients, vital signs, and PCA.
| Patients Transporter | Care Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $29,476 | $32,558 |
| Hourly rate | $14.17 | $15.65 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 126,533 | 192,391 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
A patients transporter is responsible for transporting patients from one place to assigned healthcare facilities to receive medical care and treatment. Patients transporters assist with moving the patients, such as on wheelchairs and beds, depending on their conditions. They also deliver laboratory tests, medical equipment, specimens, and other medical-related records to different institutions advised by healthcare management. A patients transporter must always adhere to the regulatory procedures to maintain safe and secure operations, especially on ensuring patients' comfort during transportation.
Patient care associates typically work at different healthcare settings where their primary job is to provide basic patient needs and comfort. They are also responsible for several patient care tasks, including bathing patients, changing the pillows and bedsheets of patients, and serving patients' meals. They should comply with safety protocols when performing these tasks. Some of them can give patients medication depending on the level of their training. To become a patient care specialist, one should possess several skills, such as good communication.
Patients transporters and care associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Patients Transporter | Care Associate | |
| Average salary | $29,476 | $32,558 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $21,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lewiston, ME | Hollister, CA |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Lifespan | Analysis Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a patients transporter and a care associate in terms of educational background:
| Patients Transporter | Care Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between patients transporters' and care associates' demographics:
| Patients Transporter | Care Associate | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7% | Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |