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Respiratory care assistant vs medical assistant externship

The differences between respiratory care assistants and medical assistant externships can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a respiratory care assistant and a medical assistant externship. Additionally, a medical assistant externship has an average salary of $35,460, which is higher than the $33,491 average annual salary of a respiratory care assistant.

The top three skills for a respiratory care assistant include patients, CPR and RRT. The most important skills for a medical assistant externship are patients, vital signs, and EKG.

Respiratory care assistant vs medical assistant externship overview

Respiratory Care AssistantMedical Assistant Externship
Yearly salary$33,491$35,460
Hourly rate$16.10$17.05
Growth rate16%16%
Number of jobs134,726172,671
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 47%Diploma, 31%
Average age3737
Years of experience1212

Respiratory care assistant vs medical assistant externship salary

Respiratory care assistants and medical assistant externships have different pay scales, as shown below.

Respiratory Care AssistantMedical Assistant Externship
Average salary$33,491$35,460
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $48,000Between $23,000 And $54,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between respiratory care assistant and medical assistant externship education

There are a few differences between a respiratory care assistant and a medical assistant externship in terms of educational background:

Respiratory Care AssistantMedical Assistant Externship
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 47%Diploma, 31%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianMedical Assisting Services
Most common college--

Respiratory care assistant vs medical assistant externship demographics

Here are the differences between respiratory care assistants' and medical assistant externships' demographics:

Respiratory Care AssistantMedical Assistant Externship
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 30.6% Female, 69.4%Male, 15.3% Female, 84.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 9.6% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.9% Asian, 9.3% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between respiratory care assistant and medical assistant externship duties and responsibilities

Respiratory care assistant example responsibilities.

  • Experience using BIPAP, CPAP, MetaNeb, IPPB
  • Perform routine and stat EKG testing.
  • Administer breathing treatments to patients in the trauma center under the watch of a respiratory therapist.
  • Administer medications via nebulizer, as well as, participate in other forms of intermittent non-invasive patient care.
  • Maintain intubation equipment and ambulation bags.
  • Work with mechanical vents and noninvasive positive pressure ventilation ..
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Medical assistant externship example responsibilities.

  • Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
  • Perform various clinical duties, such as vital signs, EKG's, urinalysis, PFT's, and rooming/interviewing patients.
  • Interview patients during check-in/check-out procedures to obtain their medical information following HIPAA standards.
  • Perform EKG, pregnancy test, vision & hearing examinations, as well as analyzed and document controls for urinalysis.
  • Back office duties including taking patients vitals, CLIA waive testing, and assisting the doctor and nurse practitioner as needed.
  • Assist podiatrists with patients suffering from complications relate to diabetes or obesity.
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Respiratory care assistant vs medical assistant externship skills

Common respiratory care assistant skills
  • Patients, 54%
  • CPR, 9%
  • RRT, 5%
  • EKG, 4%
  • Direct Patient Care, 4%
  • Resuscitation, 3%
Common medical assistant externship skills
  • Patients, 24%
  • Vital Signs, 13%
  • EKG, 8%
  • Office Procedures, 7%
  • Exam Rooms, 6%
  • Laboratory Specimens, 3%

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