Forensic investigator vs certified medical technician

The differences between forensic investigators 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 forensic investigator, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a forensic investigator has an average salary of $52,267, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a forensic investigator include incident response, windows and FTK. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Forensic investigator vs certified medical technician overview

	Forensic Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$52,267	$38,859
Hourly rate	$25.13	$18.68
Growth rate	11%	5%
Number of jobs	5,032	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a forensic investigator do?

A forensic investigator is responsible for collecting evidence and pieces of a clue to solve a complicated incident. A forensic investigator must have strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to handle various cases that would require intensive research and scientific principles application. Forensic investigators usually work closely with law enforcement personnel to identify all possible sources and secure evidence for further examination. They also study the scene where the incident happened, document observations, creating investigation reports, and communicating with several witnesses that would support possible claims.

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.

Forensic investigator vs certified medical technician salary

Forensic investigators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$52,267	$38,859
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $98,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between forensic investigator and certified medical technician education

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

	Forensic Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Nursing
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Connecticut

Forensic investigator vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between forensic investigators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Forensic Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	8%	8%

Differences between forensic investigator and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Forensic investigator example responsibilities.

Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Prepare investigative reports, scientific forensic analysis reports and other documents in support of civil litigation.
Perform in-depth forensic analysis of Macintosh computer hard drives and prepare expert report for use in ongoing litigation.
Prepare affidavits of information and apply for investigative or grand jury subpoenas and other legal orders necessary for a thorough investigation.
Present to schools, community organizations, and local corporations prevention techniques in a PowerPoint format.
Evaluate impressions for AFIS (automate fingerprint identification system) potential.

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.

Forensic investigator vs certified medical technician skills

Common forensic investigator skills

Incident Response, 17%
Windows, 12%
FTK, 11%
Litigation, 8%
Physical Evidence, 6%
Digital Evidence, 5%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Forensic Investigator vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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