Health physics technician vs certified medical technician

The differences between health physics technicians and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a health physics technician, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a health physics technician has an average salary of $46,170, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a health physics technician include radiation safety, radioactive materials and air samples. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Health physics technician vs certified medical technician overview

	Health Physics Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$46,170	$38,859
Hourly rate	$22.20	$18.68
Growth rate	-17%	5%
Number of jobs	55,571	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	2	12

Health physics technician vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Health Physics Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$46,170	$38,859
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $81,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between health physics technician and certified medical technician education

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

	Health Physics Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	-	University of Connecticut

Health physics technician vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Health Physics Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 72.4% Female, 27.6%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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	8%	8%

Differences between health physics technician and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Health physics technician example responsibilities.

Perform TEDE ALARA reviews to determine if respiratory protection would save dose on specific jobs.
Perform air, rod and contamination surveys, RWP surveys and RHR hoop valve cut and drain.
Alloy 600 lead technician responsibilities include reviewing daily surveys, performing ALARA briefs, designating tasks and developing shift schedule.
Develop a comprehensive written respiratory protection program for the NDT to align newly acquire SCBA capability with 29 CFR 1910 requirements.
Provide support for RCP removal and replacement
Follow specific RWP procedures and determine if results fall within prescribe guidelines.

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 physics technician vs certified medical technician skills

Common health physics technician skills

Radiation Safety, 13%
Radioactive Materials, 10%
Air Samples, 8%
DOE, 5%
Radiation Surveys, 4%
ALARA, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

Health Physics Technician vs. similar jobs

Health Physics Technician related careers

Health Physics Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Technician responsibilities

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Health Physics Technician
Health Physics Technician vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs