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The differences between certified nursing assistants and nurse technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a certified nursing assistant and a nurse technician. Additionally, a nurse technician has an average salary of $33,005, which is higher than the $32,597 average annual salary of a certified nursing assistant.
The top three skills for a certified nursing assistant include patients, vital signs and home health. The most important skills for a nurse technician are patients, CPR, and vital signs.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Nurse Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,597 | $33,005 |
| Hourly rate | $15.67 | $15.87 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 225,834 | 195,553 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.12 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
A certified nursing assistant generally assists patients in their healthcare needs and medical procedures. They support patients in their daily activities by monitoring patients' temperature and food intake, ensuring the cleanliness of the patient's room, and keeping documentation of patients' conditions for reference of nurses and doctors. A certified nursing assistant should also communicate with patients' families and provide updates as often as needed. It is also important that a nursing assistant is patient and compassionate enough to attend to direct patient needs, which could get demanding or challenging at times.
Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.
Certified nursing assistants and nurse technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Nurse Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,597 | $33,005 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $42,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, ME | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Valley Presbyterian Hospital | Carondelet High School |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a certified nursing assistant and a nurse technician in terms of educational background:
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Nurse Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between certified nursing assistants' and nurse technicians' demographics:
| Certified Nursing Assistant | Nurse Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7% | Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 7.8% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |