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The differences between assay development scientists and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an assay development scientist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an assay development scientist has an average salary of $75,782, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for an assay development scientist include assay development, cell-based assays and data analysis. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Assay Development Scientist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $75,782 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $36.43 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 95,381 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Assay development scientists are biochemical experts who develop procedures that test or measure the activity of a drug or biochemical in an organism. These scientists are required to provide technical support to develop new assays as well as assist in the transfer of assay to clinical laboratories internationally. They must collaborate with laboratory scientists and managers to optimize laboratory processes for increased efficiency and effectiveness. Assay development scientists must also produce and submit reports about the development of assays to the research & development (R&D;) managers as well as project managers.
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.
Assay development scientists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assay Development Scientist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $75,782 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $113,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an assay development scientist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Assay Development Scientist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between assay development scientists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Assay Development Scientist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 29.0% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 8% | 8% |