Primary care provider vs personal care assistant

The differences between primary care providers and personal care assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a primary care provider has an average salary of $35,422, which is higher than the $26,643 average annual salary of a personal care assistant.

The top three skills for a primary care provider include patients, internal medicine and family practice. The most important skills for a personal care assistant are patients, CPR, and home health.

Primary care provider vs personal care assistant overview

	Primary Care Provider	Personal Care Assistant
Yearly salary	$35,422	$26,643
Hourly rate	$17.03	$12.81
Growth rate	36%	36%
Number of jobs	103,863	256,869
Job satisfaction	-	4.67
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	-	-

What does a primary care provider do?

Primary Care Providers, also known as general practitioners instead of specialists, are doctors trained to be the first point of contact for a patient entering the health care system. They diagnose, treat, and prevent a broad range of injuries and illnesses from allergies and colds to longer-term conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus. Their duties include performing lab tests to identify a condition, prescribing medications, checking for drug interactions, provide wound care, executing spirometry tests and electrocardiograms, and coordinating specialist care for your condition. A Primary Care Provider will also help create self-care plans prescribing a certain diet and recommending exercise routines.

What does a personal care assistant do?

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.

Primary care provider vs personal care assistant salary

Primary care providers and personal care assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Primary Care Provider	Personal Care Assistant
Average salary	$35,422	$26,643
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $58,000	Between $18,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Massachusetts
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between primary care provider and personal care assistant education

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

	Primary Care Provider	Personal Care Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Primary care provider vs personal care assistant demographics

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

	Primary Care Provider	Personal Care Assistant
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%	Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 9.7% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	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%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between primary care provider and personal care assistant duties and responsibilities

Primary care provider example responsibilities.

Manage provider network to include verifying claims and benefits for healthcare providers/members and insurance companies.
Work alongside ABA therapists to continue to apply appropriate behavioral techniques.
Examine patients and carefully analyze test results and information gather during examinations to properly diagnose illnesses and diseases.
Used strong oral and written communications skills to develop and maintain effective relationships with patients, co-workers and international medical professionals.
Provide caring companionship to developmentally disabled/elderly residents.
Assist with toileting, including bedpans, urinals and commode chairs.

Personal care assistant example responsibilities.

Conduct and facilitate PCA lead group activities as scheduled
Act the utmost compassion and professionalism in providing every client with the highest quality care.
Review patients' dietary restrictions, food allergies, and preferences to ensure patient receives appropriate diet.
Provide nourishment and medication to pet resort guests and hospitalize patients alike.
Assist consumers with outside activates that are planned by PCW
Used love and compassion & structure to show young individuals their self worth.

Primary care provider vs personal care assistant skills

Common primary care provider skills

Patients, 31%
Internal Medicine, 13%
Family Practice, 12%
Patient Care, 11%
Urgent Care, 10%
NP, 4%

Common personal care assistant skills

Patients, 17%
CPR, 12%
Home Health, 12%
RUN Errands, 7%
Companionship, 6%
Patient Care, 6%

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Primary Care Provider
Primary Care Provider vs Personal Care Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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