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The differences between resident care assistants and certified nursing assistants 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 certified nursing assistant. Additionally, a certified nursing assistant has an average salary of $32,597, 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 certified nursing assistant are patients, vital signs, and home health.
| Resident Care Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,930 | $32,597 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $15.67 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 199,892 | 225,834 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.12 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| 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.
A certified nursing assistant generally assists patients in their healthcare needs and medical procedures. They support patients in their daily activities by monitoring patients' temperature and food intake, ensuring the cleanliness of the patient's room, and keeping documentation of patients' conditions for reference of nurses and doctors. A certified nursing assistant should also communicate with patients' families and provide updates as often as needed. It is also important that a nursing assistant is patient and compassionate enough to attend to direct patient needs, which could get demanding or challenging at times.
Resident care assistants and certified nursing assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Resident Care Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,930 | $32,597 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $24,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chelsea, MA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Valley Presbyterian Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a resident care assistant and a certified nursing assistant in terms of educational background:
| Resident Care Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | High School Diploma, 29% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between resident care assistants' and certified nursing assistants' demographics:
| Resident Care Assistant | Certified Nursing Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |