Decontamination technician vs certified medical technician

The differences between decontamination technicians 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 decontamination technician, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a decontamination technician has an average salary of $44,291, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a decontamination technician include papr, safety procedures and PPE. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Decontamination technician vs certified medical technician overview

	Decontamination Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$44,291	$38,859
Hourly rate	$21.29	$18.68
Growth rate	9%	5%
Number of jobs	28,108	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	2	12

Decontamination technician vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Decontamination Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$44,291	$38,859
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $69,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Newton, MA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Battelle	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Energy	Health Care

Differences between decontamination technician and certified medical technician education

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

	Decontamination Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	-	University of Connecticut

Decontamination technician vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Decontamination Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 58.3% 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%

Differences between decontamination technician and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Decontamination technician example responsibilities.

Concrete crushing, demolition, and wrecking of commercial buildings, apartments, and homes.
Assign with ALARA for lead shielding projects.
Monitor NRC license compliance and support inspections.
Set up ladders, scaffolds and hoists.
Perform decontamination of a sand blast booth using a HEPA vacuum cleaner.
Design, maintain, install, and replace rectifiers and grind beds.

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.

Decontamination technician vs certified medical technician skills

Common decontamination technician skills

Papr, 14%
Safety Procedures, 13%
PPE, 12%
Hazardous Materials, 10%
Radioactive Waste, 7%
Hazardous Waste, 6%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Decontamination Technician
Decontamination Technician vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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