Cancer researcher vs certified medical technician

The differences between cancer researchers 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 cancer researcher, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a cancer researcher has an average salary of $73,896, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a cancer researcher include patients, clinical research and clinical trials. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Cancer researcher vs certified medical technician overview

	Cancer Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$73,896	$38,859
Hourly rate	$35.53	$18.68
Growth rate	17%	5%
Number of jobs	24,199	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a cancer researcher do?

A cancer researcher is a medical scientist who devotes their time working at laboratories to study and discover ways to diagnose and treat cancer, saving countless people's lives in the process. Their duties usually include gathering and analyzing samples through basic or complex laboratory processes, studying existing cases from people of all ages, organizing specimens and instruments, coordinating with fellow experts, conducting experiments, and maintaining extensive records. Moreover, as a cancer researcher, it is essential to keep an open communication line with fellow researchers, collaborating efforts for a smooth workflow.

What does a certified medical technician do?

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.

Cancer researcher vs certified medical technician salary

Cancer researchers and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cancer Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$73,896	$38,859
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $117,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between cancer researcher and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a cancer researcher and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Cancer Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Connecticut

Cancer researcher vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between cancer researchers' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Cancer Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 36.9% Female, 63.1%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% 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%

Differences between cancer researcher and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Cancer researcher example responsibilities.

Manage mouse colonies (breeding, weaning and genotyping).
Create Linux shell scripts to automate common process which severely reduce manual work load and processing time for the entire lab.
Perform quantitative analysis of DNA, RNA, and the use of RT-PCR.
Perform clerical duties in accordance with HIPAA regulations.
Inscribe and design genotyping protocols for new studies using rare Finnish DNA samples.
Bill workers compensation, no-fault, HMO, commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Cancer researcher vs certified medical technician skills

Common cancer researcher skills

Patients, 19%
Clinical Research, 9%
Clinical Trials, 8%
Data Collection, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Informed Consent, 5%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Cancer Researcher
Cancer Researcher vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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