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The differences between activity assistants and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an activity assistant and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $29,611 average annual salary of an activity assistant.
The top three skills for an activity assistant include patients, home health and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Activity Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $29,611 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $14.24 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 25,038 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Activity assistants are the ones who organize and execute activities in different settings, including recreation centers, camps, cruise ships, and retirement or nursing homes. They design programs to encourage physical activity, increase socialization, deliver continuing education, and provide entertainment. They are also the ones who handle logistics, select and demonstrate activities, maintain proper equipment, and ensure the safety of participants. They can work full-time, part-time, or seasonally in different settings depending on the kind of clients that they cater to.
Certified Medical Technicians are specialists in medical diagnoses by performing laboratory testing and analysis for hospitals and physicians. Their duties include lab sanitization to prepare for testing and collection, recording medical samples for testing, specimen preparation, blood drawing for donation and testing, and assisting physicians with sample collection as well as equipment handling in surgical rooms. They must also understand how to use complex and sensitive testing equipment such as cell counters, analyzers, microscopes, and centrifuges.
Activity assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activity Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $29,611 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Smithsonian Institution | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an activity assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Activity Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | California State University - Fullerton | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between activity assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Activity Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1% | Black or African American, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |