Health care social worker vs certified medical technician

The differences between health care social workers 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 health care social worker, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a health care social worker has an average salary of $42,237, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a health care social worker include social work, patients and meal preparation. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Health care social worker vs certified medical technician overview

	Health Care Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$42,237	$38,859
Hourly rate	$20.31	$18.68
Growth rate	9%	5%
Number of jobs	210,979	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	45	44
Years of experience	2	12

Health care social worker vs certified medical technician salary

Health care social workers and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Care Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$42,237	$38,859
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $56,000	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 health care social worker and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a health care social worker and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Health Care Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Social Work	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Connecticut

Health care social worker vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between health care social workers' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Health Care Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	45	44
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	13%	8%

Differences between health care social worker and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Health care social worker example responsibilities.

Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Assist in coordinating health care benefits with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.
Work with clients for fill basic home cleaning, cooking, and healthcare needs.
Aid in completion of any forms such as Medicaid, food stamps, etc.
Comply with HIPAA regulations regarding patient privacy and confidentiality.
Discharge planning for those resident under going short-term physical rehabilitation.

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.

Health care social worker vs certified medical technician skills

Common health care social worker skills

Social Work, 26%
Patients, 24%
Meal Preparation, 5%
Community Resources, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Home Health, 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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Health Care Social Worker
Health Care Social Worker vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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