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The differences between sterile processing technicians and medical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a sterile processing technician, becoming a medical assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a sterile processing technician has an average salary of $38,299, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a sterile processing technician include patients, sterilizers and IAHCSMM. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Sterile Processing Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $38,299 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $18.41 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 21,592 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 43 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A sterile processing technician is responsible for performing the sterilization process and decontamination for all laboratory equipment and medical equipment to avoid the spread of infections, especially on medical procedures and critical laboratory tests. Sterile processing technicians follow a strict process of sterilizing equipment, including replacing defective tools, and proper waste procedures of disposable items. They must also adhere to the safety and sanitary standards on duty. They monitor inventories, deliver sterilized equipment to appropriate medical personnel, and organize equipment for medical procedures.
Medical assistants provide support to medical practitioners in both administrative and clerical tasks. They keep and update the patient's medical records, administer medicines under the supervision of a physician, assist during medical examinations, prepare medical samples for laboratory testing, manage the schedule of appointments, and assist the patients with their bills and in filling out needed forms, such as insurance-related documents. Medical assistants should have good communication skills and analytical skills, be organized, and be flexible. They should also have knowledge of how to operate some medical equipment such as x-ray machines.
Sterile processing technicians and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sterile Processing Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $38,299 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $50,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Blessing Hospital Emergency Room | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a sterile processing technician and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Sterile Processing Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | - |
Here are the differences between sterile processing technicians' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Sterile Processing Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 9.5% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 25.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 49.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |