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Cardiovascular technician vs certified medical technician

The differences between cardiovascular technicians 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 a cardiovascular technician, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a cardiovascular technician has an average salary of $62,986, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a cardiovascular technician include patients, BLS and patient care. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Cardiovascular technician vs certified medical technician overview

Cardiovascular TechnicianCertified Medical Technician
Yearly salary$62,986$38,859
Hourly rate$30.28$18.68
Growth rate10%5%
Number of jobs37,036164,424
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age4544
Years of experience212

What does a cardiovascular technician do?

A cardiovascular technician is responsible for monitoring and administering treatment plans for patients with cardiovascular illnesses. Cardiovascular technicians operate various equipment and machinery to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis and determine the medical procedures to take. They also assist the doctors in performing medical operations, observing the patients' condition, and explaining the test findings to the patients. A cardiovascular technician keeps a record of medical charts for reference, as well as providing progress updates to the doctors and the patients' families.

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.

Cardiovascular technician vs certified medical technician salary

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

Cardiovascular TechnicianCertified Medical Technician
Average salary$62,986$38,859
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $91,000Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying CityDavis, CADenton, TX
Highest paying stateCaliforniaAlaska
Best paying companyHeartland Home Health Inc.Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between cardiovascular technician and certified medical technician education

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

Cardiovascular TechnicianCertified Medical Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 39%Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityUniversity of Connecticut

Cardiovascular technician vs certified medical technician demographics

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

Cardiovascular TechnicianCertified Medical Technician
Average age4544
Gender ratioMale, 35.5% Female, 64.5%Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between cardiovascular technician and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Cardiovascular technician example responsibilities.

  • Assist with placement and manage intra-aortic balloon pumps.
  • Certify in CPR and ACLS.
  • Scrub and monitor implant and EP Carto and basic ablation procedures.
  • Collect data with a GPS handheld receiver and map it in the office using GIS.
  • Provide continuous ECG and blood pressure monitoring for secondary medical cardiac beds as a cardiopulmonary monitor technician.
  • Perform hook-up and scanning of holter monitors.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Cardiovascular technician vs certified medical technician skills

Common cardiovascular technician skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • BLS, 12%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Acls, 8%
  • Cardiovascular Technologist, 5%
  • Cardiology, 4%
Common certified medical technician skills
  • Patients, 17%
  • Vital Signs, 12%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Administer Medications, 7%
  • Resident Care, 6%
  • HIPAA, 6%

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