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The differences between senior medical assistants and medical laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a senior medical assistant and a medical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a senior medical assistant has an average salary of $37,113, which is higher than the $34,673 average annual salary of a medical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a senior medical assistant include patients, vital signs and patient care. The most important skills for a medical laboratory assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Senior Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $37,113 | $34,673 |
| Hourly rate | $17.84 | $16.67 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 171,533 | 124,322 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A senior medical assistant performs support tasks for physicians, nurses, and managers in a medical facility to ensure that patients get to receive optimal care and services. In general, they are responsible for handling calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, verifying patient information, liaising with external parties such as insurance providers, monitoring the inventory of medical supplies, and performing regular maintenance checks. Moreover, they must assist patients by answering inquiries, helping them in filling out forms, and making them feel comfortable throughout the procedures.
A medical laboratory assistant is in charge of performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a more experienced medical technician or scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around collecting samples such as blood and tissues, preparing slides, running tests using machines and equipment, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. Furthermore, a medical laboratory assistant must also keep the cleanliness of the laboratory, organize and monitor inventories, procure supplies, and implement the laboratory's policies and regulations.
Senior medical assistants and medical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $37,113 | $34,673 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $64,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Eugene, OR |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Genentech | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior medical assistant and a medical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between senior medical assistants' and medical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Senior Medical Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.5% Female, 69.5% | Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |