First aid instructor vs certification specialist

The differences between first aid instructors and certification specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certification specialist has an average salary of $45,265, which is higher than the $44,903 average annual salary of a first aid instructor.

The top three skills for a first aid instructor include customer service, powerpoint and course materials. The most important skills for a certification specialist are patients, medical terminology, and surgical procedures.

First aid instructor vs certification specialist overview

	First Aid Instructor	Certification Specialist
Yearly salary	$44,903	$45,265
Hourly rate	$21.59	$21.76
Growth rate	12%	11%
Number of jobs	50,978	43,565
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	2	-

What does a first aid instructor do?

First aid instructors teach people skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid for poisoning, choking, and even burning. Instructors may teach both adults and children. They teach you ways to recognize emergency situations, respond with great caution, and wear protective gear. Instructors also inform students how to transfer patients to safety, treat minor injuries, and what to do if they need additional assistance.

What does a certification specialist do?

A certification specialist is primarily in charge of conducting inspections and assessments, ensuring operations and procedures comply with certification guidelines and requirements. Although their responsibilities may vary upon their industry or organization of employment, it usually entails reviewing certification applications and system plans, arranging schedules and tests, organizing orientations, providing advice or guidance to new members of the workforce, and implementing strategies. Moreover, they also perform administrative support tasks such as processing the necessary documents, facilitating activities, and coordinating with internal and external parties.

First aid instructor vs certification specialist salary

First aid instructors and certification specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	First Aid Instructor	Certification Specialist
Average salary	$44,903	$45,265
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $71,000	Between $25,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between first aid instructor and certification specialist education

There are a few differences between a first aid instructor and a certification specialist in terms of educational background:

	First Aid Instructor	Certification Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University

First aid instructor vs certification specialist demographics

Here are the differences between first aid instructors' and certification specialists' demographics:

	First Aid Instructor	Certification Specialist
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	12%	11%

Differences between first aid instructor and certification specialist duties and responsibilities

First aid instructor example responsibilities.

Manage verification and maintenance of employee databases which includes all mandatory licensing and certifications.
Provide patient medical care and referrals to rehabilitation services.
Teach all Phlebotomy, EKG, and CPR courses.
Act as first and secondary responder.
Summarize updates in ACLS for MALS teaching staff.
Work as a first responder at intramural sporting events.

Certification specialist example responsibilities.

Support ISO audits for process documentation and software/ literature distribution, managing follow-up corrective action plans as needed.
Pre-Certify and scheduling of MRI's and bone scans.
Order supplies, apply cast, splints and other orthopedic equipment.
Prepare, apply, remove and adjusts casts and splints as advised by physician.
Review medical records to determine ICD-9 diagnosis and procedure codes according to establish guidelines and submit claims for processing.
Assign ICD-9 codes for various clinic types such as physical, occupational and speech therapies, diagnostics and labs.

First aid instructor vs certification specialist skills

Common first aid instructor skills

Customer Service, 33%
PowerPoint, 23%
Course Materials, 22%
First Aid/Aed, 7%
First Aid Training, 2%
Emergency Response, 1%

Common certification specialist skills

Patients, 22%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Surgical Procedures, 6%
Medicaid, 5%
Data Entry, 4%
Certification Process, 4%

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First Aid Instructor vs Certification Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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