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The differences between psychiatric nursing assistants and care associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a psychiatric nursing assistant and a care associate. Additionally, a care associate has an average salary of $32,558, which is higher than the $30,184 average annual salary of a psychiatric nursing assistant.
The top three skills for a psychiatric nursing assistant include patients, mental health and vital signs. The most important skills for a care associate are patients, vital signs, and PCA.
| Psychiatric Nursing Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $30,184 | $32,558 |
| Hourly rate | $14.51 | $15.65 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 181,338 | 192,391 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
Psychiatric Nursing Assistants require the ability to carry out individual patient treatment programs, as well as verbalization of patients' needs, clear and concise communication of information, and ensuring patient safety and well-being. Paying out at around $26K per year, this position requires no formal education outside of a diploma or GED, but postsecondary courses in psychology may help. Those who choose this career will be called on to assist mentally impaired or emotionally disturbed patients under nursing or medical staff direction, assist patients with their daily living activities, lead them to and from examinations and treatment, and restrain patients who become violent.
Patient care associates typically work at different healthcare settings where their primary job is to provide basic patient needs and comfort. They are also responsible for several patient care tasks, including bathing patients, changing the pillows and bedsheets of patients, and serving patients' meals. They should comply with safety protocols when performing these tasks. Some of them can give patients medication depending on the level of their training. To become a patient care specialist, one should possess several skills, such as good communication.
Psychiatric nursing assistants and care associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychiatric Nursing Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Average salary | $30,184 | $32,558 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $40,000 | Between $21,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Olympia, WA | Hollister, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | Analysis Group |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a psychiatric nursing assistant and a care associate in terms of educational background:
| Psychiatric Nursing Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between psychiatric nursing assistants' and care associates' demographics:
| Psychiatric Nursing Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.7% Female, 58.3% | Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 16.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 7.3% White, 49.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |