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The differences between health technicians and medical technologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical technologist has an average salary of $53,249, which is higher than the $37,873 average annual salary of a health technician.
The top three skills for a health technician include patients, excellent interpersonal and customer service. The most important skills for a medical technologist are patients, clinical laboratory, and ASCP.
| Health Technician | Medical Technologist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,873 | $53,249 |
| Hourly rate | $18.21 | $25.60 |
| Growth rate | 9% | - |
| Number of jobs | 110,277 | 116,495 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 34 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A health technician is responsible for supporting medical operations in a health care facility by performing administrative and clerical duties, ensuring that the organization provides the highest quality care service to the patients. Health technicians process patients' information, manage their medical payments, monitor their conditions as instructed by physicians, maintain an organized medical chart, administer medication, and assist in conducting medical procedures. They also check the adequacy of stock inventories and write request reports, as well as inspecting the cleanliness of all the medical tools and equipment during operations.
A medical technologist's role is to conduct laboratory tests with accuracy and speed. It is their responsibility to gather, prepare, and analyze samples such as blood, tissues, and bodily fluid. The produced results will be crucial to a patient's diagnosis and further treatments. It is also essential for medical technologists to keep a precise record of data and coordinate with fellow team members and physicians to ensure the fast and efficient delivery of results. Furthermore, a medical technologist can choose to work in different establishments such as a hospital, laboratory, or private clinic.
Health technicians and medical technologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Technician | Medical Technologist | |
| Average salary | $37,873 | $53,249 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $51,000 | Between $41,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Children's Hospital Colorado |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a health technician and a medical technologist in terms of educational background:
| Health Technician | Medical Technologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | Emory University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between health technicians' and medical technologists' demographics:
| Health Technician | Medical Technologist | |
| Average age | 34 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1% | Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5% |
| 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, 11.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 15% | 8% |