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The differences between biology instructors 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 a biology instructor, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a biology instructor has an average salary of $58,811, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a biology instructor include anatomy, student learning and lab experiments. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Biology Instructor | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $58,811 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $28.27 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 37,540 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A Biology Instructor is a teacher responsible for educating students on biology either in middle school, high school, or at a college level. They are responsible for creating a learning curriculum that covers scientific investigations and lab experiments. They must also design student assessment programs, liaise with parents on student growth, and create school policies and regulations. Other duties include coordinating field trips, attending staff meetings, and establishing student rapport.
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.
Biology instructors and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biology Instructor | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $58,811 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $91,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Kern Community College District | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a biology instructor and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Biology Instructor | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | Cornell University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between biology instructors' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Biology Instructor | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 11.2% White, 66.0% 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 | 16% | 8% |