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The differences between resident care 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 resident care assistant and a care associate. Additionally, a care associate has an average salary of $32,558, which is higher than the $30,930 average annual salary of a resident care assistant.
The top three skills for a resident care assistant include resident care, customer service and patients. The most important skills for a care associate are patients, vital signs, and PCA.
| Resident Care Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $30,930 | $32,558 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $15.65 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 199,892 | 192,391 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
Resident care assistants work with a group to care for residents with Alzheimer's disease, administer treatments, and chart their conditions. They manage intermediate care patients with EKG monitoring and epidural infusions. They assist residents with various forms of dementia to live while providing for their well-being. The assistants may also facilitate activities and games to engage residents with dementia. They assist residents in the dementia care unit with including dressing, showers, and bed baths. This position may require traits like integrity, compassion, and physical stamina.
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.
Resident care assistants and care associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Resident Care Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Average salary | $30,930 | $32,558 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $21,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chelsea, MA | Hollister, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Analysis Group |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a resident care assistant and a care associate in terms of educational background:
| Resident Care Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between resident care assistants' and care associates' demographics:
| Resident Care Assistant | Care Associate | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 6.6% White, 66.5% 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% |