Certified medical technician vs technician

The differences between certified medical technicians and technicians 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 technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

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

Certified medical technician vs technician overview

	Certified Medical Technician	Technician
Yearly salary	$38,859	$38,045
Hourly rate	$18.68	$18.29
Growth rate	5%	1%
Number of jobs	164,424	596,842
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	44	40
Years of experience	12	2

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 technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Certified medical technician vs technician salary

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

	Certified Medical Technician	Technician
Average salary	$38,859	$38,045
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $53,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Denton, TX	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Health Care	Telecommunication

Differences between certified medical technician and technician education

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

	Certified Medical Technician	Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	University of Connecticut	-

Certified medical technician vs technician demographics

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

	Certified Medical Technician	Technician
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	2%

Differences between certified medical technician and 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.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Certified medical technician vs technician skills

Common certified medical technician skills

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

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Certified Medical Technician
Certified Medical Technician vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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