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The differences between assistant operators and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an assistant operator, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $37,607 average annual salary of an assistant operator.
The top three skills for an assistant operator include customer service, ladders and safety procedures. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Assistant Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,607 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $18.08 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 88,093 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
The duties of an assistant operator depend on one's industry of employment or the kind of machine that they are operating. Typically, their tasks may revolve around coordinating with operators and other staff, handling and managing documents, understanding blueprints, and adhering to the directives of operators and supervisors. Furthermore, as an assistant operator, it is essential to perform support tasks, such as preparing tools and conducting regular maintenance checks to ensure the efficiency of machines and maintain a safe work environment.
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.
Assistant operators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,607 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $50,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an assistant operator and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between assistant operators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Assistant Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 6% | 8% |