Food technologist vs certified medical technician

The differences between food technologists 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 a food technologist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a food technologist has an average salary of $62,229, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a food technologist include food safety, food preparation and regulatory compliance. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Food technologist vs certified medical technician overview

	Food Technologist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$62,229	$38,859
Hourly rate	$29.92	$18.68
Growth rate	8%	5%
Number of jobs	103,677	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a food technologist do?

A food technologist is responsible for developing safe and healthy food products, managing convenient food manufacturing processes, and ensuring that the procedures adhere to internal guidelines and state regulations. Food technologists identify ways to improve food preservation methods, as well as strategizing in consumer-friendly packaging and distribution processes. They also research the current food trends and technology advancements according to public demands that would generate more revenue resources and increase the business' profits. A food technologist studies the product's reviews and analyzes techniques for more efficient product preparation.

What does a certified medical technician do?

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.

Food technologist vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Food Technologist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$62,229	$38,859
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $98,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Chicago, IL	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	LexisNexis Reed Tech	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between food technologist and certified medical technician education

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

	Food Technologist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Food Science	Nursing
Most common college	Cornell University	University of Connecticut

Food technologist vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Food Technologist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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	19%	8%

Differences between food technologist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Food technologist example responsibilities.

Develop and process data and presentations and manage technical documents for FDA & USDA.
Organize schedules for employees and set payroll -Provide direction and solve employee problems -Be extremely personable & manage stock control
Train and supervise employees GMP and GHP.
Create process controls and preventative actions through HACCP system/principles.
Prepare and package foods according to USDA standards for consumer consumption
Maintain up to date knowledge of USDA regulations, policies and appropriate product technology.

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.

Food technologist vs certified medical technician skills

Common food technologist skills

Food Safety, 16%
Food Preparation, 8%
Regulatory Compliance, 5%
Cleanliness, 4%
Safety Standards, 4%
Laboratory Equipment, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Food Technologist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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