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The differences between practical nurses and medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a practical nurse, becoming a medical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a practical nurse has an average salary of $75,363, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a practical nurse include patients, APN and home health. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Practical Nurse | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $75,363 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $36.23 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 511,602 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 46 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A practical nurse is responsible for providing the highest quality care services for the patients and assisting them with their needs and concerns. Practical nurses work within a health institution or private household to support the patients in their daily activities, monitor their conditions, administer medication, and inform the doctors of their health updates. They also coordinate with other medical professionals to develop nursing care plans and activities to suit the patients' lifestyle and keep their active wellbeing.
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.
Practical nurses and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Practical Nurse | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $75,363 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $120,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lancaster, CA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University Hospitals | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a practical nurse and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Practical Nurse | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | Emory University | - |
Here are the differences between practical nurses' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Practical Nurse | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 46 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.3% White, 60.4% 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 | 7% | 6% |