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The differences between imaging technologists 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 an imaging technologist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an imaging technologist has an average salary of $49,786, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for an imaging technologist include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Imaging Technologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,786 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $23.94 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 55,397 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
An imaging technologist is responsible for performing diagnostic imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging scans, X-ray examination, and computed tomography. Your day-to-day duties include working closely with physicians and radiologists in diagnosing or ruling out disease or injury, operating and maintaining imaging equipment, and assisting patients in preparation for imaging procedures. As an imaging technologist, it is also your responsibility to follow precise instructions in order to capture a high-quality image and assisting physicians in evaluating images.
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.
Imaging technologists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Imaging Technologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,786 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $74,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an imaging technologist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Imaging Technologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Nursing |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between imaging technologists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Imaging Technologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.6% Female, 52.4% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 73.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |