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The differences between instrument operators and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an instrument operator has an average salary of $43,179, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for an instrument operator include GPS, survey equipment and data collection. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Instrument Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,179 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $20.76 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 29,503 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
Instrument operators assist a construction or surveying crew in the assessment of topography. The operators provide assistance in clearing obstructions from any instrument. They take GPS shots while operating the crew as party chief. These professionals work under the supervision of surveyors and licensed engineers performing GPS and boundary surveys. They can be considered as specialists in tree tagging, environmental protection, and personal property surveying. The scope of their duties also includes data collection, construction surveys, and civil engineering.
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.
Instrument operators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Instrument Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,179 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $62,000 | 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 |
There are a few differences between an instrument operator and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Instrument Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between instrument operators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Instrument Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 74.3% 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 | 5% | 8% |