Compare careers
Factual side-by-side attributes from the imported O*NET and BLS OEWS datasets. No career is ranked or recommended.
Career A (or your current career)
Medical Assistants
Career B (or your target career)
Physician Assistants
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Comparison table
| Metric | Medical Assistants | Physician Assistants |
|---|---|---|
| National median salary | $45,690 | $135,880 |
| Local median salary | Not published | Not published |
| National employment | 817,870 | 162,150 |
| Typical education | Post-Secondary Certificate | Master's Degree |
| Job zone | 3 | 5 |
| Important skills | Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking | Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making |
| Related careers | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric, Nurse Practitioners, Paramedics, Family Medicine Physicians | Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses, Paramedics, Acute Care Nurses, Registered Nurses |
Career transition: skill overlap
Skill overlap
68%
15 of 22 target skills
Target-only skills
7
Current-only skills
0
Skill overlap compares O*NET skills rated at importance 3.0 or above for each occupation. It is a measure of listed skill overlap, not a probability of getting the job.
Shared skills
- Reading Comprehension+0.8 level
- Critical Thinking+1.0 level
- Speaking—
- Active Listening+0.2 level
- Judgment and Decision Making+1.1 level
- Service Orientation+0.9 level
- Social Perceptiveness+0.2 level
- Writing+0.8 level
- Complex Problem Solving+1.1 level
- Monitoring+0.5 level
- Active Learning+0.7 level
- Coordination+0.9 level
- Time Management+0.9 level
- Learning Strategies+0.3 level
- Instructing+1.0 level
Only in Physician Assistants
- Science
- Systems Evaluation
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
- Systems Analysis
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Mathematics
Only in Medical Assistants
- None