Chemistry laboratory technician vs certified medical technician

The differences between chemistry laboratory technicians and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a chemistry laboratory technician, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a chemistry laboratory technician has an average salary of $40,072, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a chemistry laboratory technician include lab equipment, test results and laboratory tests. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Chemistry laboratory technician vs certified medical technician overview

	Chemistry Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$40,072	$38,859
Hourly rate	$19.27	$18.68
Growth rate	4%	5%
Number of jobs	43,043	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a chemistry laboratory technician do?

A chemical laboratory technician is an individual who works in a designated laboratory to conduct analytical or lab-based tests on a variety of chemicals, materials, or products. Chemical laboratory technicians receive and test samples for quality assurance, safety inspection, or environmental impact. Under the supervision of chemists and other team members, they perform lab activities such as setting up lab equipment and preparing chemical solutions. Chemistry laboratory technicians can work in different industries such as pharmaceutical, mining, food, and environmental organizations.

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.

Chemistry laboratory technician vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Chemistry Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$40,072	$38,859
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $49,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Denver, CO	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Maryland	Alaska
Best paying company	Zoetis	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Energy	Health Care

Differences between chemistry laboratory technician and certified medical technician education

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

	Chemistry Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Chemistry	Nursing
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Connecticut

Chemistry laboratory technician vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Chemistry Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 9.2% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between chemistry laboratory technician and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Chemistry laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Participate in audits by FDA and ISO.
Assist in preparing and storing laboratory experiments.-Guide students through laboratory procedure.-collect student data for HPLC, GC/MS, and NMR samples.
Skil in characterization of compounds using 1HNMR , 13CNMR, IR, GC, UV-Vis spec.
Train mill trainees on ISO procedures.
Inventory lab chemicals and MSDS sheets.
Maintain and repair FTIR and UV-Vis spectrophotometers.

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.

Chemistry laboratory technician vs certified medical technician skills

Common chemistry laboratory technician skills

Lab Equipment, 12%
Test Results, 7%
Laboratory Tests, 5%
Chemistry Laboratory, 4%
Safety Procedures, 4%
HPLC, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Chemistry Laboratory Technician
Chemistry Laboratory Technician vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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