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The differences between unit assistants and medical research 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 research assistant. Additionally, a medical research assistant has an average salary of $40,303, 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 research assistant are patients, patient care, and DR.
| Unit Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,802 | $40,303 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $19.38 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 174,425 | 125,533 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| 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 research assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar environment. Their responsibilities include gathering and organizing samples, preparing the laboratories and other facilities, compiling and managing data, updating databases, and conducting examinations and analysis, all while adhering to the laboratory's policies and regulations. They may also liaise with clients, answering inquiries as necessary. Furthermore, it is vital to maintain an active line with researchers, coordinating with them every step of the way to ensure an efficient workflow.
Unit assistants and medical research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,802 | $40,303 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $25,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westfield, MA | Worcester, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | Norton Rose Fulbright |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Education |
There are a few differences between a unit assistant and a medical research assistant in terms of educational background:
| Unit Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit assistants' and medical research assistants' demographics:
| Unit Assistant | Medical Research Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% |
| 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, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |