Graduate researcher vs certified medical technician

The differences between graduate researchers and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $32,346 average annual salary of a graduate researcher.

The top three skills for a graduate researcher include R, cell culture and research projects. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Graduate researcher vs certified medical technician overview

	Graduate Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$32,346	$38,859
Hourly rate	$15.55	$18.68
Growth rate	17%	5%
Number of jobs	17,313	164,424
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	12

What does a graduate researcher do?

A graduate researcher is responsible for supporting an educational institution's academic research processes. Graduate researchers assist in data gathering and performing in-depth analysis using research methodologies under the supervision of a research professor. In some cases, graduate researchers also conduct field investigations and analyze other research publications to verify data accuracy. They prepare reports, share recommendations, and keep an organized database for research records. A graduate researcher must have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, as this task requires interaction with the researchers and writing duties.

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.

Graduate researcher vs certified medical technician salary

Graduate researchers and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Graduate Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$32,346	$38,859
Salary range	Between $15,000 And $68,000	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 graduate researcher and certified medical technician education

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

	Graduate Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Chemistry	Nursing
Most common college	Cornell University	University of Connecticut

Graduate researcher vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between graduate researchers' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Graduate Researcher	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.3% Female, 42.7%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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	6%	8%

Differences between graduate researcher and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Graduate researcher example responsibilities.

Lead the in-vitro biophysical and biochemical characterization of homologous recombination and investigate structure-function effects of mutant enzymes.
Analyze the expression of MZF-1 gene using western blots and RT-PCR.
Train undergraduate, masters, and PhD-level students on HPLC and UPLC instruments.
Use of NMR, IR, and TLC to analyze product purity and identity.
Experience using GC/MS, LC/MS, and NMR to analyze molecules produce in the lab.
Create buffers, HPLC solvents, maintain laboratory notebooks, order chemical reagents and perform serial dilutions.

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.

Graduate researcher vs certified medical technician skills

Common graduate researcher skills

R, 9%
Cell Culture, 8%
Research Projects, 6%
Protein Expression, 5%
Chemistry, 4%
Data Analysis, 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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Graduate Researcher vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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