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The differences between surgery technicians and 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 surgery technician and a medical assistant. Additionally, a surgery technician has an average salary of $41,646, which is higher than the $34,900 average annual salary of a medical assistant.
The top three skills for a surgery technician include patients, patient care and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and patient care.
| Surgery Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $41,646 | $34,900 |
| Hourly rate | $20.02 | $16.78 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 83,376 | 189,915 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Average age | 32 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A surgery technician plays a vital role in the success of medical surgeries. They are primarily in charge of performing essential support tasks such as sanitizing and preparing operating rooms, setting-up equipment, sterilizing instruments, and ensuring that supplies are accurate and adequate. They also prepare patients before surgeries, assist surgeons by handing out supplies or tools, and participate in transporting the patients from one room to another. Moreover, they must maintain an active communication line with nurses and surgeons, coordinating every step of the way.
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.
Surgery technicians and medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgery Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $41,646 | $34,900 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $27,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a surgery technician and a medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Surgery Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 34% | Associate Degree, 24% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | Emory University | - |
Here are the differences between surgery technicians' and medical assistants' demographics:
| Surgery Technician | Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 32 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% | Male, 10.4% Female, 89.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |