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The differences between process technicians and medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a process technician, becoming a medical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a process technician has an average salary of $39,462, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a process technician include basic math, patients and OSHA. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Process Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $39,462 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $18.97 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 74,367 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 45 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A process technician is responsible for managing the equipment and machinery used for various industries, such as manufacturing and engineering. Process technicians must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical industry, especially on operating certain equipment types and making adjustments on its features as needed, depending on the needs of the operation. They also run diagnostic tests to check a machine's working condition to ensure that it's free of any inconsistencies. A process technician also helps develop structure methods by communicating with the technical team and escalating all defective findings to the supervisor.
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.
Process technicians and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $39,462 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $51,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Alaska |
| Best paying company | HP | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a process technician and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Process Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Business | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | Purdue University | - |
Here are the differences between process technicians' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Process Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 45 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 6% |