Post job

Emergency medical technician vs monitor technician

The differences between emergency medical technicians and monitor technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency medical technician has an average salary of $39,743, which is higher than the $35,460 average annual salary of a monitor technician.

The top three skills for an emergency medical technician include patients, CPR and EMS. The most important skills for a monitor technician are patients, EKG, and BLS.

Emergency medical technician vs monitor technician overview

Emergency Medical TechnicianMonitor Technician
Yearly salary$39,743$35,460
Hourly rate$19.11$17.05
Growth rate7%10%
Number of jobs137,61756,963
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age3645
Years of experience-2

What does an emergency medical technician do?

Emergency medical technicians or EMTs are skilled medical professionals who act as first responders to injured or sick patients. They apply first aid or do emergency medical procedures upon arriving at the area where the emergency happened. For serious or grave injuries, they do not have complete medical equipment at their disposal, so they have limited capacities on the field. Despite that, EMTs do their best to ensure that patients would reach the hospital for such high-risk cases. EMTs are expected to be calm under pressure and have extensive knowledge of first aid and of basic medical procedures.

What does a monitor technician do?

A monitor technician works in hospitals and other health care centers that provide treatment relating to heart health. They are also known as cardiac monitor technicians, who assist physicians and nurses with diagnosing and interpreting conditions related to the heart through several methods of monitoring and testing. Most of their work includes using machines and other medical technology in tracking patients' heart performance and check for any possible abnormalities. They monitor irregular heartbeats, arrhythmias, and cardiac arrest. They also use this technology to perform various tests on the heart but typically do not provide treatment.

Emergency medical technician vs monitor technician salary

Emergency medical technicians and monitor technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Emergency Medical TechnicianMonitor Technician
Average salary$39,743$35,460
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $59,000Between $28,000 And $43,000
Highest paying CityNew Brunswick, NJMedford, OR
Highest paying stateNew JerseyUtah
Best paying companyLewistown HospitalMLK Community Healthcare
Best paying industryGovernmentHealth Care

Differences between emergency medical technician and monitor technician education

There are a few differences between an emergency medical technician and a monitor technician in terms of educational background:

Emergency Medical TechnicianMonitor Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 36%Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianNursing
Most common college-Duke University

Emergency medical technician vs monitor technician demographics

Here are the differences between emergency medical technicians' and monitor technicians' demographics:

Emergency Medical TechnicianMonitor Technician
Average age3645
Gender ratioMale, 60.9% Female, 39.1%Male, 34.7% Female, 65.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 4.5% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between emergency medical technician and monitor technician duties and responsibilities

Emergency medical technician example responsibilities.

  • Provide medical emergency response, non-emergency transport services, event medical services, manage transportation services and paramedic and EMT training.
  • Demonstrate manual dexterity, with ability to perform all tasks relate to quality patient care.
  • Coordinate emergency transport of patients while providing treatment and triage in a variety of emergency situations.
  • File reports for patients, restock ambulance and supplies at base, have ACLS training, injection.
  • Handled/administered all types of ACLS medications to pediatric, adult and geriatric patients on a daily basis.
  • Assist nurse/physician with procedure such as suturing, lumbar puncture, catherization, casting/reduction, and application of restraints.
  • Show more

Monitor technician example responsibilities.

  • Assist with placement and manage intra-aortic balloon pumps.
  • Operate electrocardiogram (EKG), cardiac treadmill testing equipment and record data.
  • Administer care to patients in a LATC setting, support with ambulation and rehabilitation procedure.
  • Ensure telemetry boxes are returned from the floors when patients are discharge or transfer to ICU.
  • Work in a very large hospital system doing EEG's on premature infants to geriatric patients.
  • Monitor heart rhythm patterns, record and report normal and abnormal heart rhythm patterns and ECG interval measurements utilizing telemetry equipment.
  • Show more

Emergency medical technician vs monitor technician skills

Common emergency medical technician skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • CPR, 11%
  • EMS, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Life Support, 5%
  • EMT-B, 3%
Common monitor technician skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • EKG, 12%
  • BLS, 8%
  • Medical Terminology, 6%
  • Cardiac Rhythms, 6%
  • Arrhythmia, 4%

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs