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Personal assistant vs personal care worker

The differences between personal assistants and personal care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a personal assistant has an average salary of $40,026, which is higher than the $29,490 average annual salary of a personal care worker.

The top three skills for a personal assistant include run errands, companionship and scheduling appointments. The most important skills for a personal care worker are patients, home health, and good communication.

Personal assistant vs personal care worker overview

Personal AssistantPersonal Care Worker
Yearly salary$40,026$29,490
Hourly rate$19.24$14.18
Growth rate-8%36%
Number of jobs21,638129,522
Job satisfaction55
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%High School Diploma, 36%
Average age4948
Years of experience2-

What does a personal assistant do?

Personal assistants are employees working for individuals who need help in managing their personal affairs. Personal assistants manage the daily activities of their employers. They are in charge of managing their employer's schedules and appointments, often coordinating their meetings and orienting them on their schedule at the start of the day. They also arrange travel needs, from looking for travel tickets to booking accommodations. When they have built enough trust with their employer, they are entrusted to also manage personal financial accounts and are often given access to other confidential information related to the employer.

What does a personal care worker do?

A personal care worker is responsible for providing quality health care services for elders and disabled persons. Personal care workers are usually employed in a private household setting or a special healthcare institution, assisting patients with their daily activities, and monitoring their conditions. They update the patients' medical charts, administer medication from the physician's prescriptions, and manage their food intake. A personal care worker must be highly-organized, especially when attending to patients' needs, inquiries, and concerns.

Personal assistant vs personal care worker salary

Personal assistants and personal care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Personal AssistantPersonal Care Worker
Average salary$40,026$29,490
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $60,000Between $22,000 And $38,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYLynn, MA
Highest paying stateNew YorkMassachusetts
Best paying companyAbbVieTyson Foods
Best paying industryReal EstateProfessional

Differences between personal assistant and personal care worker education

There are a few differences between a personal assistant and a personal care worker in terms of educational background:

Personal AssistantPersonal Care Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 41%High School Diploma, 36%
Most common majorBusinessNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of Pennsylvania-

Personal assistant vs personal care worker demographics

Here are the differences between personal assistants' and personal care workers' demographics:

Personal AssistantPersonal Care Worker
Average age4948
Gender ratioMale, 19.3% Female, 80.7%Male, 16.4% Female, 83.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 7.4% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 10.2% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage12%7%

Differences between personal assistant and personal care worker duties and responsibilities

Personal assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage all errands including dry cleaning, pharmacy, and personal shopping for groceries, clothing, and gifts.
  • Manage daily operations of the gallery including budgeting, small payroll and reconciling business accounts, eliminating off-site accounting fees.
  • Maintain company books including A/R, A/P, bank statements and other reports.
  • Handle payroll, phones, A/R, A/P, and general accounting procedures.
  • Book appointments, confirm travel accommodations, complete payroll using QuickBooks, maintain business licenses and insurance
  • Wash windows, walls, and woodwork.
  • Show more

Personal care worker example responsibilities.

  • Manage provider network to include verifying claims and benefits for healthcare providers/members and insurance companies.
  • Assist in transfers using a gate belt or a hoyer lift.
  • Use a Hoyer lift to transport patient out of bed to their wheel chair
  • Perform light maintance which include switching window screens and storm windows, installing and removing air conditioning units.
  • Care for mentally and physically disable individuals, bathing, feeding, house cleaning duties, tolieting, medicines, CPR certify
  • Travele to different client homes to assist with ADL's i.e., laundry, bathing, grooming, cleaning, etc.
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Personal assistant vs personal care worker skills

Common personal assistant skills
  • RUN Errands, 29%
  • Companionship, 8%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 6%
  • Meal Prep, 5%
  • Household Chores, 5%
  • Travel Arrangements, 5%
Common personal care worker skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Home Health, 20%
  • Good Communication, 13%
  • In-Home Care, 12%
  • Companionship, 5%
  • Patient Care, 2%

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