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The differences between surgical assistants and certified dental assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a surgical assistant has an average salary of $52,170, which is higher than the $38,418 average annual salary of a certified dental assistant.
The top three skills for a surgical assistant include patients, surgical procedures and patient care. The most important skills for a certified dental assistant are patients, dental procedures, and CPR.
| Surgical Assistant | Certified Dental Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $52,170 | $38,418 |
| Hourly rate | $25.08 | $18.47 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 28,138 | 102,316 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 43 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Surgical assistants and certified dental assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Assistant | Certified Dental Assistant | |
| Average salary | $52,170 | $38,418 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $76,000 | Between $28,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | Baptist Health Care | - |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | - |
There are a few differences between a surgical assistant and a certified dental assistant in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Assistant | Certified Dental Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Dental Assisting |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between surgical assistants' and certified dental assistants' demographics:
| Surgical Assistant | Certified Dental Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3% | Male, 6.7% Female, 93.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |