Laboratory scientist vs certified medical technician

The differences between laboratory scientists and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a laboratory scientist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a laboratory scientist has an average salary of $66,249, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a laboratory scientist include chemistry, ASCP and laboratory procedures. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Laboratory scientist vs certified medical technician overview

	Laboratory Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$66,249	$38,859
Hourly rate	$31.85	$18.68
Growth rate	17%	5%
Number of jobs	83,505	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a laboratory scientist do?

A laboratory scientist specializes in conducting research and experiments for a company or an academic institution. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around gathering and labeling samples, documenting data and progress, reviewing results, and even maintaining the cleanliness of the laboratory and its apparatus. There are also instances when they have to collaborate with other scientists, report progress, and even contribute them to different publications. Furthermore, a laboratory scientist may supervise less experienced colleagues, all while implementing the safety policies and regulations of the laboratory to maintain a safe and productive work environment.

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 scientist vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Laboratory Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$66,249	$38,859
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $93,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Microsoft	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between laboratory scientist and certified medical technician education

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

	Laboratory Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Connecticut

Laboratory scientist vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Laboratory Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	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	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory scientist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Laboratory scientist example responsibilities.

Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
Perform tests in all sections of the clinical laboratory including chemistry, hematology and microbiology.
Assure compliance with OSHA, PROSHA, EPA, USP and GMP's as well as corporate policies.
Acquire basic knowledge of GC/MS and LC/MS
Accession samples into a LIMS for tracking and reporting.
Partner with LIMS administrator for the development of tests in StarLims database.

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 scientist vs certified medical technician skills

Common laboratory scientist skills

Chemistry, 9%
ASCP, 9%
Laboratory Procedures, 7%
Test Results, 6%
Data Collection, 5%
Molecular Biology, 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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Laboratory Scientist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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