Resident care associate vs patient care technician

The differences between resident care associates and patient care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a patient care technician has an average salary of $32,806, which is higher than the $30,497 average annual salary of a resident care associate.

The top three skills for a resident care associate include resident care, administer medications and RCA. The most important skills for a patient care technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.

Resident care associate vs patient care technician overview

	Resident Care Associate	Patient Care Technician
Yearly salary	$30,497	$32,806
Hourly rate	$14.66	$15.77
Growth rate	36%	9%
Number of jobs	130,625	167,520
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Average age	48	34
Years of experience	-	-

What does a resident care associate do?

Resident Care Associates are responsible for providing support and care to individuals living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Their duties include assisting residents with daily tasks such as eating, bathing, and dressing, audit care records, as well as making sure patients take their prescribed medications. They implement daily group activities, attend to medical or safety issues, and communicates any concerns to a resident's family members as required.

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

Resident care associate vs patient care technician salary

Resident care associates and patient care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Resident Care Associate	Patient Care Technician
Average salary	$30,497	$32,806
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Salem, OR	Rochester, NH
Highest paying state	Oregon	Vermont
Best paying company	The Philadelphia Coalition	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Best paying industry	Media	Health Care

Differences between resident care associate and patient care technician education

There are a few differences between a resident care associate and a patient care technician in terms of educational background:

	Resident Care Associate	Patient Care Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 27%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	Emory University

Resident care associate vs patient care technician demographics

Here are the differences between resident care associates' and patient care technicians' demographics:

	Resident Care Associate	Patient Care Technician
Average age	48	34
Gender ratio	Male, 14.6% Female, 85.4%	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	15%

Differences between resident care associate and patient care technician duties and responsibilities

Resident care associate example responsibilities.

Assist Alzheimer patients with daily activities including personal care, administering medications and communicating with their families.
Assist in rehabilitation to transfer home.
Have been train to administer medication, CPR train, and mechanical lift train.
Maintain cleanliness throughout med pass, and practice aseptic technique when pouring and assisting with medication.
Assist with ADL's, medication assistance, dinning room service, answering the telephones and front desk monitoring.
Care for residents with diagnosis such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Resident care associate vs patient care technician skills

Common resident care associate skills

Resident Care, 24%
Administer Medications, 13%
RCA, 12%
Assist Residents, 7%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Pathogens, 5%

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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Resident Care Associate
Resident Care Associate vs Patient Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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