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The differences between crime scene technicians 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 crime scene technician, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a crime scene technician has an average salary of $51,741, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a crime scene technician include biohazard, demolition and physical evidence. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Crime Scene Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,741 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $24.88 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 5,535 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A crime scene technician specializes in gathering and processing evidence from crime scenes. They must visit and closely examine crime scenes, find potential clues, gather fingerprints and DNA samples, take photos and videos, recreate the crime scene through sketches or computerized models, and keep records. They also conduct laboratory analyses to process evidence and report results to investigators. They may sometimes have to testify at court, where they must present their findings objectively and clearly.
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.
Crime scene technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Crime Scene Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,741 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $80,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a crime scene technician and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Crime Scene Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Nursing |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between crime scene technicians' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Crime Scene Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 8% | 8% |