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The differences between unit assistants and clinical 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 unit assistant and a clinical assistant. Additionally, a unit assistant has an average salary of $33,802, which is higher than the $30,215 average annual salary of a clinical assistant.
The top three skills for a unit assistant include patients, customer service and HIPAA. The most important skills for a clinical assistant are patients, customer service, and PET.
| Unit Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,802 | $30,215 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $14.53 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 174,425 | 101,926 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A unit assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties within a department of a health care institution, ensuring that the patients receive the highest quality care services for their concerns and needs. Unit assistants assist the patients and the visitors, confirm their appointments, and direct them to the correct personnel or medical department. They also manage the adequacy of medical supplies and report defective equipment and machine to the maintenance for immediate repairs or replacements. A unit assistant must be highly organizational, especially on storing medical records and updating patients' information on the database.
A clinical assistant is responsible for assisting medical professionals with medical procedures and ensure a high level of patient care. Clinical assistants perform minor clinic procedures such as taking patients' temperature, sterilizing medical equipment, proper dumping of disposable items, responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, processing payments, arranging appointment schedules, and maintaining an organized record of patients' information, such as their medical history and health insurance records. A clinical assistant must strictly adhere to sanitary and hygienic procedures at all times to promote a safe and clean environment for the patients.
Unit assistants and clinical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,802 | $30,215 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $13,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westfield, MA | Brockton, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | Columbia University in the City of New York |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a unit assistant and a clinical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Unit Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Psychology |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit assistants' and clinical assistants' demographics:
| Unit Assistant | Clinical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 18.4% Female, 81.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 9.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |