Laboratory supervisor vs certified medical technician

The differences between laboratory supervisors 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 supervisor and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a laboratory supervisor has an average salary of $67,361, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

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

Laboratory supervisor vs certified medical technician overview

	Laboratory Supervisor	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$67,361	$38,859
Hourly rate	$32.39	$18.68
Growth rate	3%	5%
Number of jobs	49,957	164,424
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a laboratory supervisor do?

The primary job of laboratory supervisors is to oversee the daily operations of laboratories. They are responsible for facilitating the collection, analysis, and interpretation of laboratory results. Other responsibilities include supervising personnel, managing the operating budget of the laboratory, and hiring employees. Laboratory supervisors are responsible for overseeing quality assurance and enforcing practices to ensure quality control within the laboratory. Aside from these tasks, they also manage the acquisition of laboratory equipment and supplies and resolve any technical or administrative issues within the laboratory.

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 supervisor vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Laboratory Supervisor	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$67,361	$38,859
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $96,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Chevron	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between laboratory supervisor and certified medical technician education

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

	Laboratory Supervisor	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Connecticut

Laboratory supervisor vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Laboratory Supervisor	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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 supervisor and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Laboratory supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage personnel within the team, and provide guidance relating to laboratory EMR to performance improvement projects
Handle administrative and IRB tasks, manage fiscal matters, maintain record system of participant data.
Manage all static data, generate reports, run queries and support laboratories with technical knowledge and advice.
Manage pneumatic resistance rehabilitation lab.
Manage and maintain various automate laboratory equipment though GMP safe practices.
Assist with implementation of new procedures as laboratory works to achieving ISO certification.

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 supervisor vs certified medical technician skills

Common laboratory supervisor skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Patients, 10%
Chemistry, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Lab Equipment, 5%
Test Results, 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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Laboratory Supervisor
Laboratory Supervisor vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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