Investigator vs certified medical technician

The differences between investigators and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an investigator, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for an investigator include law enforcement agencies, management system and customer service. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Investigator vs certified medical technician overview

	Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$71,406	$38,859
Hourly rate	$34.33	$18.68
Growth rate	6%	5%
Number of jobs	5,085	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	12

What does an investigator do?

Criminal investigators play an essential role in criminal justice and law enforcement. Their job entails solving open cases that may take them weeks or even months to accomplish. Collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and arresting suspects are among their many tasks. They work at every level of criminal justice and law enforcement. For criminal investigators to succeed in their profession, they should have sound judgment, strong communication skills, ethical standards, physical fitness, and empathy. They also benefit from strong job prospects, in addition to an exciting and rewarding job.

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.

Investigator vs certified medical technician salary

Investigators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$71,406	$38,859
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $119,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Apple	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between investigator and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between an investigator and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Nursing
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	University of Connecticut

Investigator vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between investigators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Investigator	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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%

Differences between investigator and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Investigator example responsibilities.

Participate in and lead the controlled purchase of illegal narcotics and firearms to apprehend suspects.
Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
Manage corporate-wide document production relative to complex litigation cases.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Collaborate with federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF and IRS.
Write a detail case report, and attach all supporting documentation necessary to write up SAR's where necessary per BSA.

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.

Investigator vs certified medical technician skills

Common investigator skills

Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
Management System, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%
Senior Level Management, 4%
Child Abuse, 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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Investigator vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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