Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) vs Medical Assistant

Pay, skills and open jobs side by side, from current job postings across the US.

Sign up free See which of these jobs fit what you have done.
Open your feed Your feed ranks these against what you have done.

Pay

Licensed Practical Nurse

$66,600 typical, a year

Most LPNs earn $60,300 to $72,800 a year.

From 5,664 postings that list pay

21,257 open jobs now

Licensed Practical Nurse salaries Licensed Practical Nurse jobs

Medical Assistant

$47,800 typical, a year

Most Medical Assistants earn $43,700 to $50,000 a year.

From 3,514 postings that list pay

23,462 open jobs now

Medical Assistant salaries Medical Assistant jobs

LPNs typically earn about $18,700 more a year than Medical Assistants.

What each one does

Licensed Practical Nurse

  • Administer medications and treatments as prescribed by a physician.
  • Monitor patient conditions and report changes to the appropriate team.
  • Provide direct nursing care and assist with daily activities.
  • Document patient care, treatments, and observations in medical records.
  • Collaborate with healthcare providers and other team members.
  • Assist with admissions, transfers, and discharges of patients.

Summed up from 30 job postings

Medical Assistant

  • Take patients' vital signs and record them in the medical record.
  • Prepare patients for examinations and assist providers during visits.
  • Schedule patient appointments and manage incoming calls.
  • Administer medications and perform basic medical procedures.
  • Collect blood and other laboratory specimens.
  • Clean and prepare examination rooms for patient use.

Summed up from 30 job postings

Skills employers ask for

Licensed Practical Nurse

Asked for in both

  • Vital Signs 1 in 10 postings
  • Direct Patient Care 1 in 10 postings

More common in LPN postings

  • Nursing 1 in 10 postings
  • Infection Control 1 in 10 postings

Medical Assistant

Asked for in both

  • Vital Signs 5 in 10 postings
  • Direct Patient Care 2 in 10 postings

More common in Medical Assistant postings

  • Medical Assisting 8 in 10 postings
  • Electronic Medical Records 3 in 10 postings
  • Phlebotomy 2 in 10 postings
  • Medical Terminology 2 in 10 postings
  • Injections 2 in 10 postings

Out of each role's current postings.

Licenses and certifications

Licensed Practical Nurse

  • Licensed Practical Nurse 5 in 10 postings
  • CPR Certification 3 in 10 postings
  • RN License 2 in 10 postings
  • Basic Life Support 1 in 10 postings
  • Driver's License 1 in 10 postings
  • Licensed Vocational Nurse License 1 in 10 postings

Medical Assistant

  • Basic Life Support 3 in 10 postings
  • AAMA Certification 2 in 10 postings

Open jobs

Licensed Practical Nurse

Medical Assistant

See all 44,719 LPN and Medical Assistant jobs, ranked for you

Free account. We match you on what you have actually done.

Sign up free
Loading

Your feed is ready

See the roles that fit your experience, ranked for you.

Open your feed

Find your kind of work

Bring your experience. Workybara helps you find the roles that fit.

Get started