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The differences between unit secretaries and medical support assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a unit secretary and a medical support assistant. Additionally, a medical support assistant has an average salary of $35,390, which is higher than the $32,153 average annual salary of a unit secretary.
The top three skills for a unit secretary include patients, patient care and medical terminology. The most important skills for a medical support assistant are patients, patient care, and advanced life support.
| Unit Secretary | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $32,153 | $35,390 |
| Hourly rate | $15.46 | $17.01 |
| Growth rate | -8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 69,543 | 190,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A medical support assistant job is mainly in health care services, such as hospitals, medical clinics, and private doctors who perform administrative duties and organizing schedules and records. They work together with patients' physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel. Assistants can directly work with patients and call insurance firms on their behalf to inquire about insurance coverage. Medical support assistants encode data on a computer regarding patients' medications, treatment, and lab test results.
Unit secretaries and medical support assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Secretary | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Average salary | $32,153 | $35,390 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $40,000 | Between $28,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, ME | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a unit secretary and a medical support assistant in terms of educational background:
| Unit Secretary | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between unit secretaries' and medical support assistants' demographics:
| Unit Secretary | Medical Support Assistant | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4% | Male, 24.9% Female, 75.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 9% | 9% |