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The differences between resident care assistants and resident assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-3 months to become a resident care assistant, becoming a resident assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a resident care assistant has an average salary of $30,930, which is higher than the $29,971 average annual salary of a resident assistant.
The top three skills for a resident care assistant include resident care, customer service and patients. The most important skills for a resident assistant are home health, CPR, and vital signs.
| Resident Care Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,930 | $29,971 |
| Hourly rate | $14.87 | $14.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 199,892 | 19,033 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 12 |
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.
Resident assistants help manage peers or younger students who live in a particular residence hall on campus. They are usually in charge of welcoming fellow students, providing residence hall tours, and helping students cope with their new environment. To help students become more at ease with their environment, resident assistants usually act as buddies. They answer inquiries that the students may have and act as the bridge between the students and the residence hall management. They assist with administrative activities in the residence hall, such as handing out forms for students and ensuring documents are correctly filled out.
Resident care assistants and resident assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Resident Care Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,930 | $29,971 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $39,000 | Between $22,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chelsea, MA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Mount St. Mary's University |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a resident care assistant and a resident assistant in terms of educational background:
| Resident Care Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 28% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between resident care assistants' and resident assistants' demographics:
| Resident Care Assistant | Resident Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 34.0% Female, 66.0% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |