Lead operator vs certified medical technician

The differences between lead operators and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a lead operator, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead operator has an average salary of $88,429, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a lead operator include customer service, HR and process improvement. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Lead operator vs certified medical technician overview

	Lead Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$88,429	$38,859
Hourly rate	$42.51	$18.68
Growth rate	7%	5%
Number of jobs	87,338	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a lead operator do?

Lead operators are responsible for the direction and supervision of the day-to-day activities in facilities. As machine operators, they control machines and take charge of industrial operations. They handle and move objects, monitor processes, and inspect materials, structures, and equipment. Also, they may serve as mentors for the new production employees concerning occupational health and safety. They must be skilled in safety procedures, heavy equipment, preventive maintenance, and other things related to machine operations.

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.

Lead operator vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Lead Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$88,429	$38,859
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $142,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Alaska
Best paying company	Meta	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Technology	Health Care

Differences between lead operator and certified medical technician education

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

	Lead Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Connecticut

Lead operator vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Lead Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	6%	8%

Differences between lead operator and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Lead operator example responsibilities.

Plan, organize, and lead Kaizen activities as well as managed the cost reduction activities from idea to implementation.
Contact potential REO listing brokers achieving the highest return call rate.
Create UAT scripts and utilize statistical process controls to manage loan process quality and ensure consistency.
Achieve goals in various metrics, from sales to plan, payroll, additional services, print center.
Manage and organize incoming records and publications for use on SharePoint.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.

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.

Lead operator vs certified medical technician skills

Common lead operator skills

Customer Service, 18%
HR, 10%
Process Improvement, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Safety Procedures, 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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Lead Operator
Lead Operator vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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