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The differences between surgical assistants and physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician assistant has an average salary of $118,812, which is higher than the $52,170 average annual salary of a surgical assistant.
The top three skills for a surgical assistant include patients, surgical procedures and patient care. The most important skills for a physician assistant are patients, diagnostic tests, and surgery.
| Surgical Assistant | Physician Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $52,170 | $118,812 |
| Hourly rate | $25.08 | $57.12 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 28,138 | 39,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A Surgical Assistant provides assistance during an operation by performing a wide range of crucial tasks. They cover patients with surgical drapes to create and maintain a sterile operative field and adjust and maintain operating room parameters according to the surgeon's specifications.
The physician assistant, also known as "PA," is now considered a key player to any healthcare team. Physician assistants are health care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians. They work on several areas of medicine, from primary care to emergency service and even psychiatry. Neither they are a doctor nor a physician, but their job profile showcases many of these responsibilities. More than as assistants to the doctors, they are also equipped to examine, diagnose, and develop treatment strategies for patients.
Surgical assistants and physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Assistant | Physician Assistant | |
| Average salary | $52,170 | $118,812 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $76,000 | Between $70,000 And $201,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Baptist Health Care | Marshall University |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Education |
There are a few differences between a surgical assistant and a physician assistant in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Assistant | Physician Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Physician Assistant |
| Most common college | - | Duke University |
Here are the differences between surgical assistants' and physician assistants' demographics:
| Surgical Assistant | Physician Assistant | |
| Average age | 43 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3% | Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4% |
| 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, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |