Health care technician vs health care specialist

The differences between health care technicians and health care specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health care specialist has an average salary of $53,766, which is higher than the $36,553 average annual salary of a health care technician.

The top three skills for a health care technician include patients, CPR and plant health. The most important skills for a health care specialist are patient care, rehabilitation, and medical care.

Health care technician vs health care specialist overview

	Health Care Technician	Health Care Specialist
Yearly salary	$36,553	$53,766
Hourly rate	$17.57	$25.85
Growth rate	9%	36%
Number of jobs	173,122	118,429
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	34	50
Years of experience	-	-

What does a health care technician do?

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.

What does a health care specialist do?

Health care specialists are medical professionals working in the health care industry. These medical specialists handle their subordinate corpsmen while maintaining their administrative records during deployment. They work hand in hand with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's, paralysis, and dementia. It is part of their job to provide nursing care to patients, which may include immunization and medical examination. They need to develop skills and knowledge in patient care, military health care, and routine medical treatment.

Health care technician vs health care specialist salary

Health care technicians and health care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Care Technician	Health Care Specialist
Average salary	$36,553	$53,766
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $30,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Chelmsford, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Moss Adams
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between health care technician and health care specialist education

There are a few differences between a health care technician and a health care specialist in terms of educational background:

	Health Care Technician	Health Care Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Health care technician vs health care specialist demographics

Here are the differences between health care technicians' and health care specialists' demographics:

	Health Care Technician	Health Care Specialist
Average age	34	50
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
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, 24.0% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 35.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	15%	5%

Differences between health care technician and health care specialist duties and responsibilities

Health care technician example responsibilities.

Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
Maintain and operate delivery vehicle need to safely transport necessary equipment to patients on a regularly schedule basis.
Observe, report and document pertinent information about patients per policy, to include communication with direct supervisor and treatment team.
Field incoming communications, perform administrative duties such as chart upkeep and telemetry monitoring with close attention to detail and accuracy.
Utilize interviewing skills in order to fill out patient's care programs/interests and organized/file patient records manually and with EMR.
Work in-home, providing compassionate care for older adults with Alzheimer's disease.

Health care specialist example responsibilities.

Train and certify soldiers in CPR and first aid classes and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Manage a team of 12 sailors in three departments including manpower, inpatient and outpatient behavioral health, and pediatrics.
Manage ventilator settings, suction tracheostomy, tube-feeding assistance.
Provide nursing care of patients including medical examinations, administering immunizations, and assisting with triage of mass casualties.
Ensure compliance with CLIA, EMA, and FDA operating guidelines.
Provide emotional support and companionship to clients.

Health care technician vs health care specialist skills

Common health care technician skills

Patients, 17%
CPR, 13%
Plant Health, 12%
Customer Service, 12%
Vital Signs, 5%
Care Tech, 5%

Common health care specialist skills

Patient Care, 26%
Rehabilitation, 23%
Medical Care, 18%
Emergency Care, 14%
Medical Readiness, 5%
Patients, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Health Care Technician
Health Care Technician vs Health Care Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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