Funeral director vs certified medical technician

The differences between funeral directors and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a funeral director, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a funeral director has an average salary of $39,048, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a funeral director include client families, veterans and compassion. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Funeral director vs certified medical technician overview

	Funeral Director	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$39,048	$38,859
Hourly rate	$18.77	$18.68
Growth rate	8%	5%
Number of jobs	5,746	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a funeral director do?

A funeral director organizes and oversees funeral services, aiming to provide optimal service and support to grieving families. They typically meet with families to identify their needs and help them plan services, arrange transportation for the deceased, prepare and process the body for the service, and assist families every step of the way. They are also responsible for processing documents, liaising with vendors and suppliers, writing obituaries, and resolving conflicts or issues should any arise. Moreover, a funeral director must lead and delegate tasks among staff, monitoring the progress of all operations regularly.

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.

Funeral director vs certified medical technician salary

Funeral directors and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Funeral Director	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$39,048	$38,859
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Belmont, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Precoa	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between funeral director and certified medical technician education

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

	Funeral Director	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Mortuary Science	Nursing
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	University of Connecticut

Funeral director vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between funeral directors' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Funeral Director	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 1.8% White, 77.0% 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	9%	8%

Differences between funeral director and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Funeral director example responsibilities.

Manage subordinates, facilities and MSDS files.
Greet them with empathy and compassion, conveying to family members that their every need will be meet.
Escort families to proper burial locations to include; scheduling with appropriate service component regarding ceremonies that are bestow to veterans.
Provide financial oversight, including budget development, expense management, and financial analysis.
Certify crematory operator; participate on removals; and assist on calling hours and funerals.
Specialize in Asian, Hindu, Buddist, Muslim, etc.

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.

Funeral director vs certified medical technician skills

Common funeral director skills

Client Families, 23%
Veterans, 21%
Compassion, 19%
Funeral Homes, 16%
SCI, 14%
Removals, 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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Funeral Director vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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