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The differences between personal care assistants and care providers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a care provider has an average salary of $29,652, which is higher than the $26,643 average annual salary of a personal care assistant.
The top three skills for a personal care assistant include patients, CPR and home health. The most important skills for a care provider are senior care, patients, and administer medications.
| Personal Care Assistant | Care Provider | |
| Yearly salary | $26,643 | $29,652 |
| Hourly rate | $12.81 | $14.26 |
| Growth rate | 36% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 256,869 | 169,562 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.67 | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Personal care assistants are employed to help individuals who may need special attention or assistance. They are usually trained to care for individuals with specific conditions, whether physically or mentally. Personal care assistants manage their meal plans, medicine intake, daily schedule, and therapy, among others. They help their clients move, eat, bathe, and dress. They also run errands and provide any other assistance that their clients may need. Personal care assistants also provide emotional and moral support to their clients. They are also in touch with medical professionals and provide updates on the health of their clients.
A care provider is responsible for assisting patients with their healthcare needs at the highest quality service. Care providers work in various medical organizations or are privately employed by a household. They perform medical procedures such as taking the patient's temperature and vital signs, monitoring their food intake, administering medications, collecting specimens for laboratory tests, and reporting the patient's condition to the attending physician or other health care professionals. A care provider must have excellent communication and organization skills, especially when consulting with patients for their needs and developing healthcare plans.
Personal care assistants and care providers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Care Assistant | Care Provider | |
| Average salary | $26,643 | $29,652 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $37,000 | Between $17,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Attleboro, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between a personal care assistant and a care provider in terms of educational background:
| Personal Care Assistant | Care Provider | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 31% | High School Diploma, 30% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between personal care assistants' and care providers' demographics:
| Personal Care Assistant | Care Provider | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% | Male, 22.1% Female, 77.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |