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The differences between unit assistants and medical laboratory 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 medical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a medical laboratory assistant has an average salary of $34,673, which is higher than the $33,802 average annual salary of a unit assistant.
The top three skills for a unit assistant include patients, customer service and HIPAA. The most important skills for a medical laboratory assistant are patients, customer service, and data entry.
| Unit Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,802 | $34,673 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $16.67 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 174,425 | 124,322 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| 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 medical laboratory assistant is in charge of performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a more experienced medical technician or scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around collecting samples such as blood and tissues, preparing slides, running tests using machines and equipment, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. Furthermore, a medical laboratory assistant must also keep the cleanliness of the laboratory, organize and monitor inventories, procure supplies, and implement the laboratory's policies and regulations.
Unit assistants and medical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,802 | $34,673 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $27,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westfield, MA | Eugene, OR |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a unit assistant and a medical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Unit Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit assistants' and medical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Unit Assistant | Medical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 18.9% Female, 81.1% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 51.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |