Health physicist vs certified medical technician

The differences between health physicists and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a health physicist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a health physicist has an average salary of $74,942, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a health physicist include radioactive materials, oversight and ALARA. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Health physicist vs certified medical technician overview

	Health Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$74,942	$38,859
Hourly rate	$36.03	$18.68
Growth rate	8%	5%
Number of jobs	47,640	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	6	12

What does a health physicist do?

A health physicist investigates research principles by which radiation interacts with living systems and matter. Health physicists study environmental radioactivity levels. Part of their research is radiation's effects on biological systems in space and on earth. They ensure the proper functioning of the x-ray and the storage of radiation therapy. Part of their responsibility is to make sure that scientists are following regulations and safely using their radioactive materials. Also, they are advocates of human and environmental protection.

What does a certified medical technician do?

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 physicist vs certified medical technician salary

Health physicists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$74,942	$38,859
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $134,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	UCI Health	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Energy	Health Care

Differences between health physicist and certified medical technician education

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

	Health Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Physics	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Connecticut

Health physicist vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between health physicists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Health Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 76.9% Female, 23.1%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 7.2% White, 77.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	24%	8%

Differences between health physicist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Health physicist example responsibilities.

Manage the work and flow through the plant and department with regard to NDT.
Ensure local site regulatory compliance by providing RSO oversight.
Interpret and apply NRC and EPA regulations pertinent to each assignment.
Review verification data for compliance with EPA cleanup standards.
Perform all functions of outage health physics job coverage.
Monitor and assist RCA exit portal area as needed.

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 physicist vs certified medical technician skills

Common health physicist skills

Radioactive Materials, 9%
Oversight, 9%
ALARA, 7%
Radiation Safety, 7%
Emergency Response, 5%
NRC, 3%

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 Physicist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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