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The differences between health information technicians and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a health information technician and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $34,604 average annual salary of a health information technician.
The top three skills for a health information technician include patients, medical terminology and customer service. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Health Information Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $34,604 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $16.64 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 120,786 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A health information technician is primarily responsible for managing and handling patient information, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality. They coordinate with various health care workers to gather patient data, laboratory results, test findings, and medical histories, encoding them in clinical databases in a timely and efficient manner. They must analyze every information to detect any inconsistencies, performing corrective measures right away. Furthermore, as a health information technician, it is essential to utilize particular software and systems when processing information, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and regulations.
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.
Health information technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Information Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $34,604 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $45,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Stifel Financial | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a health information technician and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Health Information Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Health Care Administration | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between health information technicians' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Health Information Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.5% Female, 83.5% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | 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 | 9% | 8% |