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The differences between criminalists 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 criminalist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a criminalist has an average salary of $68,152, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a criminalist include physical evidence, laboratory reports and body fluids. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Criminalist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $68,152 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $32.77 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 14,872 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A criminalist works in the forensic science or law enforcement field. Their duties depend upon the agency or place they work for, but they are often responsible for conducting crime investigations, studying crime scenes, gathering and examining evidence, processing evidence, and coordinating with investigators. They must also prepare and process documents, present detailed results and reports to investigators, and sometimes testify in court.
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.
Criminalists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminalist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $68,152 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $127,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | City of Los Angeles | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a criminalist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Criminalist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Nursing |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between criminalists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Criminalist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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% |