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The differences between psychological assistants and volunteers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a psychological assistant and a volunteer. Additionally, a psychological assistant has an average salary of $68,862, which is higher than the $31,227 average annual salary of a volunteer.
The top three skills for a psychological assistant include patients, crisis intervention and mental illness. The most important skills for a volunteer are child care, patient charts, and patient care.
| Psychological Assistant | Volunteer | |
| Yearly salary | $68,862 | $31,227 |
| Hourly rate | $33.11 | $15.01 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 90,785 | 9,583 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A psychological assistant primarily performs support tasks to assist a psychologist in treating patients at a medical facility. Their duties focus on helping patients by answering inquiries, giving instructions, explaining procedures, gathering requirements, and conducting initial assessments. They can participate in serving the patients under the supervision and directives of a licensed psychologist. Additionally, a psychological assistant may also participate in conducting research, preparing and processing necessary paperwork, handling calls and other forms of correspondence, and attending meetings and seminars.
Volunteers are usually unpaid individuals who render their service to a company or organization. Most of the time, volunteers are skilled in specific areas needed by the organization but prefer to provide free service. They may be employed in another organization, but they lend their time and talent to another organization or company to give back to the community. They raise funds, create awareness, and work on the ground. Volunteers usually choose a cause or advocacy close to their heart, such as teaching children, taking care of the elderly, coaching sports teams, cleaning up communities, and caring for animals.
Psychological assistants and volunteers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Psychological Assistant | Volunteer | |
| Average salary | $68,862 | $31,227 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $105,000 | Between $23,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sparks, NV | - |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | - |
| Best paying company | New York University | - |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | - |
There are a few differences between a psychological assistant and a volunteer in terms of educational background:
| Psychological Assistant | Volunteer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | California State University - Fullerton |
Here are the differences between psychological assistants' and volunteers' demographics:
| Psychological Assistant | Volunteer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% | Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0% | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |