First-aid attendant vs nurse technician

The differences between first-aid attendants and nurse technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a first-aid attendant and a nurse technician. Additionally, a nurse technician has an average salary of $33,005, which is higher than the $27,639 average annual salary of a first-aid attendant.

The top three skills for a first-aid attendant include customer service, fire safety and BLS. The most important skills for a nurse technician are patients, CPR, and vital signs.

First-aid attendant vs nurse technician overview

	First-Aid Attendant	Nurse Technician
Yearly salary	$27,639	$33,005
Hourly rate	$13.29	$15.87
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	164,508	195,553
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	3	3

What does a first-aid attendant do?

First-Aid Attendants are responsible for providing immediate medical assistance to employees suffering an injury or illness. Their duties include gathering patient medical information, disinfecting wounds, administering bandages, handling artificial respirators and oxygen administration, and providing medications to relieve pain. They are responsible for arranging transport logistics, maintaining personnel headcount, attending safety meetings, producing first aid reports, and ensuring accurate documentation. First Aid Attendants in health care facilities manage bed changes as well as assist physicians during an emergency.

What does a nurse technician do?

Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.

First-aid attendant vs nurse technician salary

First-aid attendants and nurse technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First-Aid Attendant	Nurse Technician
Average salary	$27,639	$33,005
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $35,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Carondelet High School
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between first-aid attendant and nurse technician education

There are a few differences between a first-aid attendant and a nurse technician in terms of educational background:

	First-Aid Attendant	Nurse Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	-	-

First-aid attendant vs nurse technician demographics

Here are the differences between first-aid attendants' and nurse technicians' demographics:

	First-Aid Attendant	Nurse Technician
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 33.2% Female, 66.8%	Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 6.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between first-aid attendant and nurse technician duties and responsibilities

First-aid attendant example responsibilities.

Operate POS cash register to manage cash, credit, and debit card transactions for sell items.
Handle confidential materials and follow HIPPA regulations.
Keep records on individual pet, including daily observations and information activities perform, meals sever, and medication administer.
Work when need in the outpatient ambulatory surgery department.

Nurse technician example responsibilities.

Manage memory unity within facility.
Deliver timely and quality patient care on rehabilitation unit under direct supervision of staff nurses.
Assist patients with ADL's: bathing, transferring, ambulating, changing bed linens, skin care, etc.
Assist and serve patients with activities of daily living (ADL) in a manner conductive to their safety and comfort.
Assist new surgical patients with appropriate equipment to meet rehabilitation needs, and offer mental encouragement for a more positive recovery.
Pick up patient for surgery.

First-aid attendant vs nurse technician skills

Common first-aid attendant skills

Customer Service, 98%
Fire Safety, 0%
BLS, 0%
Emergency Situations, 0%
Front Desk, 0%
Certifications, 0%

Common nurse technician skills

Patients, 26%
CPR, 9%
Vital Signs, 8%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Home Health, 5%
Direct Patient Care, 5%

First-Aid Attendant vs. similar jobs

First-Aid Attendant related careers

First-Aid Attendant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Support Industry
First-Aid Attendant
First-Aid Attendant vs Nurse Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare support jobs