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The differences between anesthesia technicians and patient care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an anesthesia technician has an average salary of $39,640, which is higher than the $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.
The top three skills for an anesthesia technician include patients, patient care and BLS. The most important skills for a patient care technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.
| Anesthesia Technician | Patient Care Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,640 | $32,806 |
| Hourly rate | $19.06 | $15.77 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 78,132 | 167,520 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 27% |
| Average age | 41 | 34 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
Anesthesia technicians are healthcare professionals who oversee activities related to anesthetics. They administer anesthesia to patients and assist doctors in related activities. They also monitor the patient after the anesthesia is administered to ensure that no harmful side effects occurred. Anesthesia technicians are expected to know how to test for anesthetic allergies and to spot signs of such allergies. They should be familiar with the different techniques, solutions, and equipment used for anesthetic procedures. Aside from those, anesthesia technicians are also expected to manage the inventory of anesthetic solutions and to trigger purchase requests for new stocks.
Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.
Anesthesia technicians and patient care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Anesthesia Technician | Patient Care Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,640 | $32,806 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $52,000 | Between $24,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Rochester, NH |
| Highest paying state | California | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an anesthesia technician and a patient care technician in terms of educational background:
| Anesthesia Technician | Patient Care Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 27% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | Emory University |
Here are the differences between anesthesia technicians' and patient care technicians' demographics:
| Anesthesia Technician | Patient Care Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 34 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5% | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 15% |