Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between surgical assistants and respiratory therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a respiratory therapist has an average salary of $55,617, 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 respiratory therapist are patients, respiratory care, and BLS.
| Surgical Assistant | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $52,170 | $55,617 |
| Hourly rate | $25.08 | $26.74 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 28,138 | 33,980 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
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.
A Respiratory Therapist is responsible for the healthcare of a patient's Cardiopulmonary system. A Respiratory Therapist specializes in assessing, recommending procedures or precautionary measures, and treating infections, diseases, and even viruses that can cause dysfunction to a patient's breathing. Most duties will depend on the workplace or the condition of a patient. However, they must have extensive expertise, passion, and presence of mind as they work with patients of all ages, and the daily tasks are vital and unpredictable.
Surgical assistants and respiratory therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Surgical Assistant | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Average salary | $52,170 | $55,617 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $76,000 | Between $33,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Lancaster, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Baptist Health Care | Heartland Home Health Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a surgical assistant and a respiratory therapist in terms of educational background:
| Surgical Assistant | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Associate Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | - | Duke University |
Here are the differences between surgical assistants' and respiratory therapists' demographics:
| Surgical Assistant | Respiratory Therapist | |
| Average age | 43 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3% | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% |
| 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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |