Restorative aide vs care associate

The differences between restorative aides and care associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a restorative aide and a care associate. Additionally, a care associate has an average salary of $32,558, which is higher than the $31,126 average annual salary of a restorative aide.

The top three skills for a restorative aide include patients, rehabilitation and strength training. The most important skills for a care associate are patients, vital signs, and PCA.

Restorative aide vs care associate overview

	Restorative Aide	Care Associate
Yearly salary	$31,126	$32,558
Hourly rate	$14.96	$15.65
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	54,334	192,391
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	3	3

What does a restorative aide do?

Restorative aides are health-care professionals who are responsible for providing restorative and rehabilitation care for patients to maintain or regain physical, mental, and emotional well-being. They are certified nurse assistants with specialized training in restorative care. Their duties and responsibilities also include performing duties delegated to them by their supervisor, motivating patients to participate and complete their restorative program, and maintaining all the necessary equipment for supplies and treatment.

What does a care associate do?

Patient care associates typically work at different healthcare settings where their primary job is to provide basic patient needs and comfort. They are also responsible for several patient care tasks, including bathing patients, changing the pillows and bedsheets of patients, and serving patients' meals. They should comply with safety protocols when performing these tasks. Some of them can give patients medication depending on the level of their training. To become a patient care specialist, one should possess several skills, such as good communication.

Restorative aide vs care associate salary

Restorative aides and care associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Restorative Aide	Care Associate
Average salary	$31,126	$32,558
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $21,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Hollister, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Analysis Group
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between restorative aide and care associate education

There are a few differences between a restorative aide and a care associate in terms of educational background:

	Restorative Aide	Care Associate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

Restorative aide vs care associate demographics

Here are the differences between restorative aides' and care associates' demographics:

	Restorative Aide	Care Associate
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 15.8% Female, 84.2%	Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between restorative aide and care associate duties and responsibilities

Restorative aide example responsibilities.

Recognize by physicians for ability to meticulously prepare patient's chest and attach leads to obtain excellent quality EKG tracings.
Administer CPR when need, take vital signs and dietary care.
Assist patients with operating mechanical devices; such as crutches, canes, prostheses, walkers and wheelchairs.
Perform ADL programs, therapeutic exercise and gait training, also in-service nursing and family members of residents.
Utilize and maintain special equipment such as (splints, weights, cycles, and weight machines).
Range of motion to upper and lower extremities using gait belts, and walkers to help rehabilitate motor skills.

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Care associate example responsibilities.

Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
Provide direct care to patients in intensive care unit with empathy, compassion and enthusiasm.
Utilize strong interpersonal skills to educate patients on procedures, rehabilitation and contraception methods.
Care for patients requiring telemetry monitoring and work collaboratively with telemetry technician/nurses to detect and report abnormalities to physicians.
Coordinate with clinicians to meet the specific needs of patients and perform clinical care in an ICU.
Assign to new ER and ICU departments by leadership to maintain quality of patient care and increase patient satisfaction.

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Restorative aide vs care associate skills

Common restorative aide skills

Patients, 31%
Rehabilitation, 24%
Strength Training, 6%
Body Functions, 6%
Care Plan, 4%
Resident Care, 4%

Common care associate skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 11%
PCA, 7%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 7%
Customer Service, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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