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The differences between clinical support specialists 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 support specialist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a clinical support specialist has an average salary of $45,892, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a clinical support specialist include patients, clinical support and home health. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Clinical Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $45,892 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $22.06 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 161,163 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A clinical support specialist is in charge of assisting medical workers and clients in hospitals or similar facilities. Among their responsibilities include gathering patient information and medical histories, collecting payment and insurance details, helping patients fill out forms, answering calls and correspondence, and assisting staff as needed. A clinical support specialist may also participate in medical research and studies, providing clerical support to researchers and medical experts. Furthermore, it is essential to function while implementing the facility's safety policies and regulations.
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 support specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $45,892 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $71,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Boehringer Ingelheim | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical support specialist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between clinical support specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Clinical Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% 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 | 11% | 8% |