Laboratory courier vs certified medical technician

The differences between laboratory couriers and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a laboratory courier and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a laboratory courier has an average salary of $44,363, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a laboratory courier include hospital lab, cell phones and stat. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Laboratory courier vs certified medical technician overview

	Laboratory Courier	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$44,363	$38,859
Hourly rate	$21.33	$18.68
Growth rate	-5%	5%
Number of jobs	49,202	164,424
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a laboratory courier do?

A laboratory courier is responsible for transporting laboratory specimens, equipment, supplies, and pertinent documents in a clinic or a hospital. They need to ensure that packages will be delivered on schedule. Most of the time, they work in the field, so this position requires some physical skills. They need to travel to pick up needed items and deliver packages. Their job is risker than that of other couriers, since they need to handle packages with extra care, including keeping them in specific temperatures.

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.

Laboratory courier vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Laboratory Courier	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$44,363	$38,859
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $63,000	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 laboratory courier and certified medical technician education

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

	Laboratory Courier	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	-	University of Connecticut

Laboratory courier vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Laboratory Courier	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 53.6% Female, 46.4%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.3% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 54.8% 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	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory courier and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Laboratory courier example responsibilities.

Well verse with medical terminology associate with lab testing and phlebotomy.
Perform electronic patient registration, test ordering, and processing of microbiology specimens.
Use of micro-pipettors, scales and centrifuges.
Pick up and deliver bank documents, mail and packages on company time routes.
Pick up mail from post office and bank mail room and distribute to designate persons or departments.
Implement freight forwarding and TSA regulations in oversight of materials expedition via airlines, truck and air charter services.

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.

Laboratory courier vs certified medical technician skills

Common laboratory courier skills

Hospital Lab, 18%
Cell Phones, 13%
Stat, 13%
OSHA, 11%
Specimen Handling, 11%
Lab Specimens, 7%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Laboratory Courier vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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