Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between health care technicians and clinical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health care technician has an average salary of $36,553, which is higher than the $35,760 average annual salary of a clinical technician.
The top three skills for a health care technician include patients, CPR and plant health. The most important skills for a clinical technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.
| Health Care Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,553 | $35,760 |
| Hourly rate | $17.57 | $17.19 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 173,122 | 161,812 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 34 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
A health care technician works with laboratory equipment used for the analysis of specimens for diagnosis. The health care technician's role is an integral part of a health care facility as all proper diagnosis stems from accurate laboratory results. Included with a healthcare technician's tasks is to take vital signs, collect samples, and work closely with doctors during patient consultations and check-ups. The health care technician typically works inside a laboratory and is expected to keep the area clean and all equipment is all in working order.
A clinical technician is responsible for operating and maintaining clinical equipment, ensuring the proper sterilization of all laboratory tools and kits to avoid contamination during medical procedures. Clinical technicians assist the patients with their medical inquiries and needs, collecting samples for laboratory, and helping medical professionals on surgeries and other medical operations. They also maintain medical charts, update patients' information on the database, and administer patients' medication. A clinical technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry, as well as strictly following internal guidelines and safety procedures during operations.
Health care technicians and clinical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Care Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,553 | $35,760 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $26,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Chelmsford, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a health care technician and a clinical technician in terms of educational background:
| Health Care Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between health care technicians' and clinical technicians' demographics:
| Health Care Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Average age | 34 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 8% |