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The differences between resident care assistants and personal care assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a resident care assistant has an average salary of $30,930, which is higher than the $26,643 average annual salary of a personal care assistant.
The top three skills for a resident care assistant include resident care, customer service and patients. The most important skills for a personal care assistant are patients, CPR, and home health.
| Resident Care Assistant | Personal Care Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,930 | $26,643 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $12.81 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 36% |
| Number of jobs | 199,892 | 256,869 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.67 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | High School Diploma, 31% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 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.
Personal care assistants are employed to help individuals who may need special attention or assistance. They are usually trained to care for individuals with specific conditions, whether physically or mentally. Personal care assistants manage their meal plans, medicine intake, daily schedule, and therapy, among others. They help their clients move, eat, bathe, and dress. They also run errands and provide any other assistance that their clients may need. Personal care assistants also provide emotional and moral support to their clients. They are also in touch with medical professionals and provide updates on the health of their clients.
Resident care assistants and personal care assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Resident Care Assistant | Personal Care Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,930 | $26,643 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $18,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chelsea, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a resident care assistant and a personal care assistant in terms of educational background:
| Resident Care Assistant | Personal Care Assistant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | High School Diploma, 31% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between resident care assistants' and personal care assistants' demographics:
| Resident Care Assistant | Personal Care Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 15.0% Female, 85.0% |
| 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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |