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The differences between certified medical technicians and registered nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a certified medical technician, becoming a registered nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a registered nurse has an average salary of $73,349, 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 registered nurse are patients, BLS, and CPR.
| Certified Medical Technician | Registered Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $38,859 | $73,349 |
| Hourly rate | $18.68 | $35.26 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 164,424 | 646,159 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2.75 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 28% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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 responsibilities of a registered nurse involve caring for a variety of patients, from ill and injured to those who are healthy and wanting to stay that way. Nurses have different specialization and work with particular patients, such as newborn babies or those who are suffering from particular medical conditions. They work on different settings which includes hospital, outpatient facility, rehabilitation center, nursing home, dialysis center, home healthcare agency, and other offices. They can administer medications, wound care, and other aids or treatment plan. They also conduct medical tests, interpret the results, and monitor patients' recovery and progress.
Certified medical technicians and registered nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Medical Technician | Registered Nurse | |
| Average salary | $38,859 | $73,349 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $45,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denton, TX | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | NORCAL Ambulance |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a certified medical technician and a registered nurse in terms of educational background:
| Certified Medical Technician | Registered Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 28% | Associate Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | Duke University |
Here are the differences between certified medical technicians' and registered nurses' demographics:
| Certified Medical Technician | Registered Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |