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The differences between background investigators and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a background investigator, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a background investigator has an average salary of $51,076, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a background investigator include excellent time management, work ethic and face-to-face interviews. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Background Investigator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,076 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $24.56 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 4,428 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
The primary job of background investigators is to conduct background checks into an individual's personal and professional history that can validate or disprove their identity and character. They perform background investigations as part of hiring new employees, making an investment, and choosing a public official. Background investigators are responsible for obtaining and reviewing witness statements and arrest reports and meeting with candidates or the management to keep them updated on the investigation's progress and status. They are also responsible for completing background packages for final review and recommendation.
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.
Background investigators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Background Investigator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,076 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $90,000 | 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 a background investigator and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Background Investigator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Nursing |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between background investigators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Background Investigator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.6% Female, 50.4% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 15.2% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 4.6% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |