Cook vs certified medical technician

The differences between cooks and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a cook, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $31,803 average annual salary of a cook.

The top three skills for a cook include food handling, food service and cleanliness. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Cook vs certified medical technician overview

	Cook	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$31,803	$38,859
Hourly rate	$15.29	$18.68
Growth rate	16%	5%
Number of jobs	184,818	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a cook do?

Cooks are responsible for preparing meals for guests or employers. They must be knowledgeable about the different recipes and ingredients needed. They are also responsible for managing the inventory and ensuring that the pantry is well-stocked. They prepare meals from scratch, cutting ingredients, measuring them, and following recipes. Cooks should be creative, especially when ingredients are lacking, and they must find alternatives that will not compromise the food taste. They should be precise, imaginative, and patient. Cooks should also have good time management skills and decision-making skills.

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.

Cook vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Cook	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$31,803	$38,859
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between cook and certified medical technician education

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

	Cook	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Culinary Arts	Nursing
Most common college	-	University of Connecticut

Cook vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Cook	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 70.2% Female, 29.8%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	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	6%	8%

Differences between cook and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Cook example responsibilities.

Achieve completion to cook, prep and dish meticulous meals to an immense amount of customers with proficient dexterity quality.
Organize production and set up broiler station for lunch shift, manage grill with 30-40 steaks at varying temps and cuts.
Lead cook line and instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of dishes.
Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
Develop ability to manage multiple stations simultaneously while maintaining high levels of culinary excellence.
Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fryers, and griddles.

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.

Cook vs certified medical technician skills

Common cook skills

Food Handling, 14%
Food Service, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Kitchen Equipment, 9%
Basic Math, 7%
Culinary, 6%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

Cook vs. similar jobs

Cook related careers

Cook related jobs

Cook jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Cook
Cook vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs