Navigating the healthcare field and the many opportunities it presents can be difficult, especially when considering roles that, on the surface, seem fairly similar. While medical assistants and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) do have some crossover in job duties, understanding where these two distinct roles differ is critical to finding the right career path for you. In this article, we’ll explore the similarities and differences between these two healthcare professions and offer ways of examining them that may help you determine your best career fit.
In This Article
What Is the Difference Between Medical Assistants and CNAs?
As you look deeper into potential healthcare career paths, you may find yourself asking, “Is a medical assistant the same as a CNA?” While CNAs and medical assistants share some roles and responsibilities, there are important differences that distinguish the two positions. To start, we’ll outline what each role does that mirrors the other and which pieces of each career are rather different on a day-to-day basis.
CNA and Medical Assistant Similar Job Duties
First, let’s take a look at where certified nursing assistants vs medical assistants overlap in their job functions.
Patient care. Like many other healthcare careers, both CNAs and medical assistants devote a significant portion of their daily efforts to patient care. Both spend time with patients, administering physician- or nurse-directed care and offering a space for patients to feel heard.
Vital sign monitoring. Additionally, CNAs and medical assistants both do a fair amount of vital sign monitoring. Precisely how much varies between the roles and depends heavily on your work environment (hospitals vs. long-term care facilities, for example, require different levels of vital sign monitoring).
Supportive medical role. Both medical assistants and CNAs provide much-needed support for both patients and the larger care team. The specific support varies between the roles, but both are responsible for patient care, education, and connecting the dots between the patient and their larger care team.
Close collaboration. As part of providing that full coverage of support, both CNAs and medical assistants collaborate closely with registered nurses, physicians, and other members of patient care teams to provide a comprehensive and holistically informed care experience.
Difference Between Medical Assistant and CNA
Now, let’s explore the differences between these two roles so you can begin to better understand which path might be the right choice for you.
Scope of practice. Medical assistants typically have a broader scope of practice than CNAs. Whereas CNAs focus most of their time and efforts on direct patient care, providing more personal care such as mobility assistance, medical assistants have more varied patient care and clinical responsibilities. These responsibilities can range from assisting with minor surgical procedures to conducting laboratory tests and more.
Administrative tasks. Additionally, medical assistants receive training in healthcare administrative tasks as well. CNAs do not receive administrative training beyond charting necessities. Medical assistants will schedule appointments, maintain medical records, and assist with medical coding and billing as part of their daily job tasks.
Career advancement options. MAs have the opportunity to specialize in specific areas, and CNAs can take a path toward becoming registered nurses if they so desire.
Differences in Medical Assistant and CNA Training Requirements
Due to the differences in the finer aspects of the roles, the training and education requirements for becoming a CNA or a medical assistant are quite different as well. Learn more below.
CNA: On average, CNA programs typically take around 4-6 months to complete. Many nursing assistant programs include both in-person and online class components, making the training a little more flexible for students who are attending school while balancing other jobs and life responsibilities. Upon program completion, you will be required to sit for your licensing exam. Tests and total program hours may vary by state.
Medical Assistant: A quality medical assistant program that provides the full scope of education and training needed to feel adequately prepared for your licensure exam will typically take approximately a year to a year and a half to complete. Upon program completion and passing your licensing exam, you will be able to pursue work as a medical assistant in the healthcare environment of your choice. Again, it’s important to note that exams and total program length may vary by state and the specific focus areas of your individual program.
Which Is Better: Medical Assistant or CNA?
The short answer? The better career option between medical assisting and certified nursing is simply the one that best suits your personal interests and goals. As you weigh your options, consider the following advantages of each potential career path.
Benefits of Nursing Training
CNA programs are shorter than medical assistant programs, so if you are eager to get into the healthcare field quickly, opting for this beginning nursing career may be a better choice.
Additionally, if developing your career into more specialized nursing (like becoming a registered nurse or getting an ADN) is of interest to you, opting to become a CNA will give you a more direct route to those more advanced nursing careers.
Benefits of Medical Assistant Training
On the other hand, if you have more time to put toward your training and education, medical assisting is a much broader area of healthcare professions with a wider array of possible career options to follow beyond medical assisting.
Medical assistant programs focus on a blend of patient care and administrative knowledge, which allows you to branch off in either direction after completing your program. If the area of healthcare administration is of interest to you, opting to pursue a career as a medical assistant may be the best choice.
Medical Assistant Salary vs CNA | Career Outlook
Of course, the benefits of each role go beyond just the daily work you will engage in. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both careers offer a positive outlook in job growth, but vary in salary and advancement opportunities.
Medical Assistant Salary
- Typically higher than CNA salaries
- In 2023, the median salary for Medical Assistants was $42,000/year or $20.19/hour
- Opportunity for greater salary growth with a wider range of supplemental education/career opportunities
Certified Nurse Assistant Salary
- Typically lower than MA salaries
- In 2023, the median salary for Nurse Assistants was $38,130/year or $18.33/hour
- The biggest potential for salary growth comes from additional nursing training.
How to Choose: Certified Nursing Assistant vs Medical Assistant
Now that the difference between these two roles is a little clearer, you still might be wondering how to choose the right path for you. Ultimately, the right path is the one that combines your long-term goals with your immediate needs and desires, and allows you to feel excited about the work you will be doing every day.
Consider Your Long-Term Goals
If your long-term goals are to move beyond this initial training point into a more advanced medical career, that may play a major role in determining which program and path is best suited to your vision for the future.
Think about:
- What advanced degrees you may be interested in. This will narrow down the focus area of your studies from the start.
- How you want to interact with various components of the healthcare field. Some people are interested solely in working with patients and direct patient care while others are interested in the details of the healthcare system at large.
- What level of education you are comfortable taking on. For some, longer programs with more intense study requirements are no big deal. For others, the idea of years in school before starting on the job is simply not an option.
- How you learn best. Some students learn best on the job and prefer to start with a faster program that provides entry-level access to their chosen field, then move up while working within that field. Others learn best through a combination of institutional learning and on-the-job training. Determining your preferred learning style will help guide some of your program choices.
Compare Crucial Job Functions
At the end of the day, your career will make up a large part of your day-to-day life. It’s worth tailoring your career path to things that you enjoy and aspects of the healthcare industry that get you truly excited.
Take the time to lay out the job functions of each role you are considering and sort them into pros and cons. Bold or highlight the ones that excite you the most, and make note of the job functions that you are most dreading. This line-by-line type of examination will ultimately provide you with a clear understanding of which role offers more of the things you love about the healthcare industry and less of the things you don’t.
Explore Your Options
As you explore your options, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. Perhaps the reason you’re interested in finding a career in the medical field isn’t tied closely to the opportunities that medical assisting or becoming a CNA offer you.
That’s why The College of Healthcare Professions offers a wide variety of programs, courses, and paths that can help you create the career you want, focusing on the aspects of the industry that light you up. If nursing is of interest to you, vocational nursing can be a great way to get your feet wet before diving into the deep end. Our medical assistant program offers paths to more advanced administrative degrees, like medical coding and billing.
And if neither of those paths appeal to you, there are a host of other programs with niche healthcare interests for you to explore.
Become a Medical Assistant or Start Your Nursing Career with The College of Healthcare Professions
Whether you want to become a medical assistant, begin your nursing career, or simply learn more about how you can envision yourself working in the world of healthcare professionals, CHCP is here to help. Apply today or contact us to learn more.
