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The differences between equipment operators 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 an equipment operator, 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 $31,739 average annual salary of an equipment operator.
The top three skills for an equipment operator include CDL, loaders and asphalt. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Equipment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $31,739 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $15.26 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 62,473 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Equipment operators are employees who are assigned to work on specific company equipment. They are skilled workers trained to handle all aspects of the particular equipment, from basic operating to repairing. They use the equipment and ensure that safety standards are being followed. Aside from managing the equipment, they are also in charge of repairs and maintenance. They are responsible for ensuring that the machine works properly, troubleshooting if there are challenges encountered, and repairing any problems. Equipment operators are reliable, trustworthy, and attentive.
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.
Equipment operators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Equipment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $31,739 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $40,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Indianapolis, IN | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Nelsen Partners | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an equipment operator and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Equipment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between equipment operators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Equipment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 0.9% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% | 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 | 2% | 8% |