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The differences between certified medical technicians and surgical 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 surgical technician. Additionally, a surgical technician has an average salary of $52,193, 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 surgical technician are patients, surgical technologist, and surgical procedures.
| Certified Medical Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,859 | $52,193 |
| Hourly rate | $18.68 | $25.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 164,424 | 70,920 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 28% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| 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.
A Surgical Technician is an essential member of a medical operating team. They serve as an additional hand of a surgeon. Surgical Technicians have the vital responsibility of assisting surgeons during operations, such as passing and providing instruments and tools such as Graspers, Clasps, Suction, and more. Furthermore, Surgical Technicians are also responsible for preparing all of the required surgical devices and instruments, making sure they are all up to the standards of hospital and medical regulations. And post-surgery, their duties include applying bandages to a patient and even cleaning the operating room.
Certified medical technicians and surgical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Medical Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,859 | $52,193 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $35,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denton, TX | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | St. Tammany Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a certified medical technician and a surgical technician in terms of educational background:
| Certified Medical Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 28% | Associate Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between certified medical technicians' and surgical technicians' demographics:
| Certified Medical Technician | Surgical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% |
| 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, 13.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |