Nursing Assistants vs Medical Assistants salary

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for Nursing Assistants is $33,250, while the average annual salary for Medical Assistants is $38,190. This means that Medical Assistants earn a higher salary than Nursing Assistants.

However, salaries can vary depending on factors such as location, experience, and the specific setting in which the employee works. For example, Nursing Assistants who work in New York (with an average salary of $40,680) may earn more than those who work in Mississippi ($25,690). And Medical Assistants in Washington earn 55% more on average than those in Louisiana.

Nursing Assistants vs Medical Assistants overview

Nursing Assistants and Medical Assistants are two important jobs in the Hospitals industry. There is a general interest in understanding the differences between these job titles, including the average earnings for each of them.

Nursing Assistant job description

Nursing Assistants provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Perform duties such as monitoring of health status, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, or ambulation of patients in a health or nursing facility. May include medication administration and other health-related tasks. Includes nursing care attendants, nursing aides, and nursing attendants.

Nursing Assistant education and experience

39% of Nursing Assistants hold a High School Diploma, 24% have a Post-Secondary Certificate, and 12% hold a College Course Certificate. In terms of experience, about a quarter of Nursing Assistant jobs require no previous experience. A smaller part of jobs (17%) require a previous experience of 1 to 3 months.

Nursing Assistant average salary

As stated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States employed 1.31M Nursing Assistants in 2021, and the mean income they earned annually was $33,250. The bottom 10 percent had earnings of $23,880 or less, and the top 10 percent had earnings of $44,240 or more. The average salary has grown by 3.7% compared the previous year.

Do Nursing Assistants make good money?

Nursing Assistants salaries are often not as high as those in other fields, as their average salary is 43% lower than the average salary in the United States ($58,260). Moreover, they earn 18% less than the average pay of the Nursing and Residential Care Facilities industry ($40,390).

Nursing Assistants salaries are often not as high as those in other fields, as their average salary is 43% lower than the average salary in the United States ($58,260).

Nursing Assistants job growth

The employment rate for Nursing Assistants has fallen in the last two years. In 2021, there have been 56,220 less roles than the previous year nationwide, which marks a decrease of 4.1%. The average job growth over the past 2 years has been -3.8%.

Medical Assistant job description

Medical Assistants perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.

Medical Assistant education and experience

45% of Medical Assistants have obtained a Post-Secondary Certificate, 21% hold a High School Diploma, and 17% have a Bachelor's Degree. When it comes to experience, 41% of Medical Assistant occupations require a 6 months to 1 year of previous work-related experience. A smaller portion of roles (20%) do not require any previous experience.

Medical Assistant average salary

According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of Medical Assistants employed by the United States in 2021 was 727,760, and they earned an average annual income of $38,190. The bottom 10 percent had a salary of $29,070 or less, and the top 10 percent had a salary of $48,170 or more. The average salary has an increase of 3.4% in comparison to the previous year.

Do Medical Assistants make good money?

Medical Assistants salaries are generally not as competitive as those of other professions, since their mean salary is about a third below the average pay in the United States ($58,260). Moreover, they make about a half less than the mean salary of the Health Care Services industry ($70,360).

Medical Assistants salaries are generally not as competitive as those of other professions, since their mean salary is about a third below the average pay in the United States ($58,260).

Medical Assistants job growth

In 2021, there have been 17,560 more Medical Assistant job opportunities than the previous year across the nation, and that shows an increase of 2.5%. Over the past 3 years, job growth has averaged 2.6%.

FAQ

Do Nursing Assistants or Medical Assistants make more?

The average earnings of Medical Assistants are 15% higher than those of Nursing Assistants. On average, Nursing Assistants make $33,250 per year, while Medical Assistants make $38,190.