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The differences between psychiatric nurses and physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician assistant has an average salary of $118,812, which is higher than the $64,922 average annual salary of a psychiatric nurse.
The top three skills for a psychiatric nurse include patients, mental illness and CPR. The most important skills for a physician assistant are patients, diagnostic tests, and surgery.
| Psychiatric Nurse | Physician Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $64,922 | $118,812 |
| Hourly rate | $31.21 | $57.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 608,055 | 39,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A Psychiatric Nurses role is to supervise the medication and treatment of patients diagnosed with mental disabilities, illnesses, or distresses. They have an essential role in the administration of psychiatric treatment and care.
The physician assistant, also known as "PA," is now considered a key player to any healthcare team. Physician assistants are health care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians. They work on several areas of medicine, from primary care to emergency service and even psychiatry. Neither they are a doctor nor a physician, but their job profile showcases many of these responsibilities. More than as assistants to the doctors, they are also equipped to examine, diagnose, and develop treatment strategies for patients.
Psychiatric nurses and physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychiatric Nurse | Physician Assistant | |
| Average salary | $64,922 | $118,812 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $99,000 | Between $70,000 And $201,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Highland General Hospital | Marshall University |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a psychiatric nurse and a physician assistant in terms of educational background:
| Psychiatric Nurse | Physician Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Physician Assistant |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between psychiatric nurses' and physician assistants' demographics:
| Psychiatric Nurse | Physician Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.1% Female, 81.9% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 12% |