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The differences between activity therapists 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 therapist and a certified medical technician. Additionally, an activity therapist has an average salary of $54,001, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for an activity therapist include patients, mental health and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Activity Therapist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $54,001 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $25.96 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 25,092 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An Activity Therapist specializes in organizing set activities for patients in hospitals or those undergoing therapy. Recreational activities are essential for uplifting patients' moods and recuperating mentality from the stresses involved with medication and hospitalization. An activity therapist outlines a list of activities customized for the types of patients that will join the activity. Activity Therapists coordinate with other physicians, therapists, and psychologists to better develop activities that benefit everyone.
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 therapists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activity Therapist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $54,001 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $78,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an activity therapist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Activity Therapist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Rehabilitation Science | Nursing |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between activity therapists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Activity Therapist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 9% | 8% |