Intensive care unit nurse vs certified medical technician

The differences between intensive care unit nurses and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an intensive care unit nurse has an average salary of $79,483, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for an intensive care unit nurse include patients, BLS and acls. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Intensive care unit nurse vs certified medical technician overview

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$79,483	$38,859
Hourly rate	$38.21	$18.68
Growth rate	6%	5%
Number of jobs	611,699	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	12

What does an intensive care unit nurse do?

An Intensive Care Unit Nurse is specialized in providing care in intensive care units of hospitals. They assist in the treatment of acutely ill patients with life-threatening conditions.

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.

Intensive care unit nurse vs certified medical technician salary

Intensive care unit nurses and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$79,483	$38,859
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $131,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Santa Clara, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Nevada	Alaska
Best paying company	Dignity Health	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between intensive care unit nurse and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between an intensive care unit nurse and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	University of Connecticut

Intensive care unit nurse vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between intensive care unit nurses' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Intensive Care Unit Nurse	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	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	9%	8%

Differences between intensive care unit nurse and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Intensive care unit nurse example responsibilities.

Manage pre- and post-surgical care, specifically for GI disorders.
Manage patients who suffer respiratory/cardiac arrest per ACLS protocol.
Manage patients requiring blood transfusions, iv antibiotic therapy, complications from chemotherapy and radiation.
Care for cardiac patients in CCU.
Incorporate ACLS and BLS algorithms on a frequent basis.
Provide care to ventilator dependent patients, tracheal care, and ICP monitoring.

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.

Intensive care unit nurse vs certified medical technician skills

Common intensive care unit nurse skills

Patients, 22%
BLS, 18%
Acls, 13%
Diagnostic Tests, 6%
Catheter, 5%
Compassion, 5%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Intensive Care Unit Nurse
Intensive Care Unit Nurse vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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