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The differences between certified medical technicians and assistant laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a certified medical technician and an assistant laboratory technician. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $35,556 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a certified medical technician include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for an assistant laboratory technician are patients, ladders, and computer lab.
| Certified Medical Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,859 | $35,556 |
| Hourly rate | $18.68 | $17.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 164,424 | 116,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 28% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.
Certified medical technicians and assistant laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Medical Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,859 | $35,556 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $21,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denton, TX | Manchester, NH |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | Patterson-UTI Energy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a certified medical technician and an assistant laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Certified Medical Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 28% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between certified medical technicians' and assistant laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Certified Medical Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |