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The differences between unit assistants and registered medical 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 registered medical assistant. Additionally, a registered medical assistant has an average salary of $36,580, 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 registered medical assistant are patients, vital signs, and office procedures.
| Unit Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $33,802 | $36,580 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $17.59 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 174,425 | 183,988 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| 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.
The primary job of registered medical assistants is to perform clinical and administrative tasks in a healthcare setting. They offer support services to physicians, so the latter have plenty of time to care for patients. They carry out varied administrative, clerical, and clinical tasks that include taking vital signs, filing records, and scheduling patient appointments. Other responsibilities include discussing treatment procedures to patients, interacting with patients, and collecting laboratory specimens such as tissue and blood. Ideal characteristics to become a registered medical assistant include being compassionate, can work well with people, and adaptable.
Unit assistants and registered medical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Average salary | $33,802 | $36,580 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $26,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westfield, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | Griffin Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a unit assistant and a registered medical assistant in terms of educational background:
| Unit Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Associate Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit assistants' and registered medical assistants' demographics:
| Unit Assistant | Registered Medical Assistant | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 8.2% Female, 91.8% |
| 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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 8.7% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |