Hospice social worker vs certified medical technician

The differences between hospice social workers 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 hospice social worker, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a hospice social worker has an average salary of $52,859, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a hospice social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Hospice social worker vs certified medical technician overview

	Hospice Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$52,859	$38,859
Hourly rate	$25.41	$18.68
Growth rate	9%	5%
Number of jobs	110,787	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	45	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a hospice social worker do?

A hospice social worker is primarily in charge of providing emotional support and guidance to terminally-ill patients and their families, aiming to give them comfort and assistance in various procedures. Their responsibilities include identifying the needs of patients and their families through visitations or appointments, coordinating with nurses and physicians, and serving as a patient advocate by providing them with spiritual and emotional comfort. Furthermore, as a hospice social worker, it is essential to assist families with the bereavement processes, referring them to other programs as necessary.

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.

Hospice social worker vs certified medical technician salary

Hospice social workers and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hospice Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$52,859	$38,859
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $67,000	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 hospice social worker and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a hospice social worker and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Hospice Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Social Work	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Connecticut

Hospice social worker vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between hospice social workers' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Hospice Social Worker	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	45	44
Gender ratio	Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	13%	8%

Differences between hospice social worker and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Hospice social worker example responsibilities.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to provide necessary referrals and counseling to achieve establish patient goals.
Provide support, education and compassion to patients and family members.
Assist patients and families with obtaining necessary insurances such as Medicaid, etc.
Provide advocacy and support services to terminally ill patients, families and/or significant others to maximize benefits and limit out-of-pocket expenses.
Work as lead MSW on all pediatric hospice cases.
Work with other members of the IDT to track and document changes to the patient's status, coping, etc.

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.

Hospice social worker vs certified medical technician skills

Common hospice social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Patients, 19%
Home Health, 11%
MSW, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Community and Social Services Industry
Hospice Social Worker
Hospice Social Worker vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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