Health care technician vs medical service technician

The differences between health care technicians and medical service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical service technician has an average salary of $37,943, 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 medical service technician are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Health care technician vs medical service technician overview

	Health Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Yearly salary	$36,553	$37,943
Hourly rate	$17.57	$18.24
Growth rate	9%	7%
Number of jobs	173,122	189,362
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	34	36
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 medical service technician do?

A medical service technician provides health care and treatments to patients under the supervision or directives of a more experienced physician. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assessing a patient's condition, administering required aid, diagnosing patients, conducting check-ups, and counseling patients. There are also instances when a medical service technician may prescribe medications, conduct inspections at facilities to ensure sanitary conditions, and coordinate with hospital staff for requesting supplies. Furthermore, it is crucial to have accurate documentation of all processes and transactions, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and standards.

Health care technician vs medical service technician salary

Health care technicians and medical service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Average salary	$36,553	$37,943
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $23,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Chelmsford, MA	Salem, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Connecticut
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Sunrise Systems
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between health care technician and medical service technician education

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

	Health Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Virginia

Health care technician vs medical service technician demographics

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

	Health Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Average age	34	36
Gender ratio	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%	Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2%
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, 6.5% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	15%	8%

Differences between health care technician and medical service technician 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.

Medical service technician example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
Administer and document vaccinations and perform strep tests, finger sticks, urinalysis, and various need lab tests.
Run QC on all lab instrumentation ensuring reports are within acceptable limits.
Keep track of all POC inventory, reagents, QC materials and equipment validations.
Apply cold packs to affect injuries of the patient, fit crutches on patients.
Maintain all training and CPR certifications in order to actively participate in codes with in the hospital.

Health care technician vs medical service technician skills

Common health care technician skills

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

Common medical service technician skills

Patients, 18%
Customer Service, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%
Infection Control, 5%
Phlebotomy, 4%
CPR, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Health Care Technician
Health Care Technician vs Medical Service Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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