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The differences between senior medical assistants and registered medical 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 registered medical assistant. Additionally, a senior medical assistant has an average salary of $37,113, which is higher than the $36,580 average annual salary of a registered medical assistant.
The top three skills for a senior medical assistant include patients, vital signs and patient care. The most important skills for a registered medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and office procedures.
| Senior Medical Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $37,113 | $36,580 |
| Hourly rate | $17.84 | $17.59 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 171,533 | 183,988 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| 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.
The primary job of registered medical assistants is to perform clinical and administrative tasks in a healthcare setting. They offer support services to physicians, so the latter have plenty of time to care for patients. They carry out varied administrative, clerical, and clinical tasks that include taking vital signs, filing records, and scheduling patient appointments. Other responsibilities include discussing treatment procedures to patients, interacting with patients, and collecting laboratory specimens such as tissue and blood. Ideal characteristics to become a registered medical assistant include being compassionate, can work well with people, and adaptable.
Senior medical assistants and registered medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Medical Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $37,113 | $36,580 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $64,000 | Between $26,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Griffin Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior medical assistant and a registered medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Medical Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 26% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between senior medical assistants' and registered medical assistants' demographics:
| Senior Medical Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.5% Female, 69.5% | Male, 8.2% Female, 91.8% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |