Certified medical technician vs laboratory technician

The differences between certified medical technicians and 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 a laboratory technician. Additionally, a laboratory technician has an average salary of $40,038, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a certified medical technician include patients, vital signs and CPR. The most important skills for a laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.

Certified medical technician vs laboratory technician overview

	Certified Medical Technician	Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$38,859	$40,038
Hourly rate	$18.68	$19.25
Growth rate	5%	4%
Number of jobs	164,424	84,357
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

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.

What does a laboratory technician do?

Laboratory technicians are medical professionals who work in the laboratory. They are responsible for the equipment in the laboratory, making sure tools are properly sanitized and sterilized after every use. They also ensure that laboratory equipment works well. Laboratory technicians may also be responsible for collecting and testing samples from patients. They prepare solutions and other chemicals that may be needed for testing. They also provide an analysis of the samples that they tested. Laboratory technicians ensure that all items in the laboratory are properly labeled and organized.

Certified medical technician vs laboratory technician salary

Certified medical technicians and laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Certified Medical Technician	Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$38,859	$40,038
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $53,000	Between $27,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Denton, TX	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	Tenaska
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between certified medical technician and laboratory technician education

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

	Certified Medical Technician	Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Nursing	Biology
Most common college	University of Connecticut	New York University

Certified medical technician vs laboratory technician demographics

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

	Certified Medical Technician	Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%	Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between certified medical technician and laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

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.

Laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Analyze and paid attention to detail as well as demonstrated excellent organization skills, manual dexterity and good eyesight.
Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate with EKG equipment and notify physician is something appears to be wrong.
Monitor several color formulations being manufacture in the production department to ensure manufacturing procedures are follow per ISO and GMP.
Perform age appropriate phlebotomy while working with critically or terminally ill patients, with careful respect for individual and/or cultural concerns.

Certified medical technician vs laboratory technician skills

Common certified medical technician skills

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

Common laboratory technician skills

Patients, 17%
Lab Equipment, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Basic Math, 4%
Test Results, 4%
Math, 4%

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Certified Medical Technician vs Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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