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The differences between unit assistants and unit secretaries can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a unit assistant, becoming a unit secretary takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a unit assistant has an average salary of $33,802, which is higher than the $32,153 average annual salary of a unit secretary.
The top three skills for a unit assistant include patients, customer service and HIPAA. The most important skills for a unit secretary are patients, patient care, and medical terminology.
| Unit Assistant | Unit Secretary | |
| Yearly salary | $33,802 | $32,153 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $15.46 |
| Growth rate | 16% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 174,425 | 69,543 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
Unit secretaries are administrative workers in a medical facility, usually a hospital or a clinic. They are in charge of religious activities in the unit or department they are assigned to. They manage incoming and outgoing mail, phone calls, and even appointments. They handle filing and recording of the documents of the department. They also take minutes of meetings and ensure that action plans are followed through. Unit secretaries should be familiar with the individuals in the department. They should also be accustomed to the schedule of members of the unit. Unit secretaries should be organized, dedicated, and trustworthy.
Unit assistants and unit secretaries have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Assistant | Unit Secretary | |
| Average salary | $33,802 | $32,153 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $44,000 | Between $25,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westfield, MA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| 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 unit secretary in terms of educational background:
| Unit Assistant | Unit Secretary | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 30% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit assistants' and unit secretaries' demographics:
| Unit Assistant | Unit Secretary | |
| Average age | 37 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0% | Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |