Clinical research scientist vs certified medical technician

The differences between clinical research scientists 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 clinical research scientist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a clinical research scientist has an average salary of $99,160, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a clinical research scientist include clinical research, clinical trials and clinical development. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Clinical research scientist vs certified medical technician overview

	Clinical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$99,160	$38,859
Hourly rate	$47.67	$18.68
Growth rate	6%	5%
Number of jobs	128,547	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a clinical research scientist do?

A clinical research scientist is responsible for assisting physicians in conducting laboratory research and examinations to identify diseases and establish treatment plans. They also inspect medical tools and equipment to prevent hazards and operational delays. A clinical research scientist must have excellent communication skills and extensive knowledge of the medical industry to provide the highest quality care services for the patients.

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.

Clinical research scientist vs certified medical technician salary

Clinical research scientists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$99,160	$38,859
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $154,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Meta	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between clinical research scientist and certified medical technician education

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Connecticut

Clinical research scientist vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 13.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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 clinical research scientist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Clinical research scientist example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage planning, implementation, conduct and reporting of assign early phase international clinical studies in oncology.
Facilitate IRB approval, when require.
Compile and submit reports to U.S. FDA.
Provide draft responses to FDA questions to senior management.
Resolve IRB issues and implement IRB mandate changes in the protocol with amendments.
Recruit investigators perform pre-study visits, negotiate budgets, initiate and monitor studies and verify data for accuracy and completeness.

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.

Clinical research scientist vs certified medical technician skills

Common clinical research scientist skills

Clinical Research, 11%
Clinical Trials, 7%
Clinical Development, 6%
Data Management, 5%
Oncology, 5%
Clinical Data, 5%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Clinical Research Scientist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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