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The differences between licensed cosmetologists 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 licensed cosmetologist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $36,637 average annual salary of a licensed cosmetologist.
The top three skills for a licensed cosmetologist include retail sales, customer service and product sales. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,637 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $17.61 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 52,740 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | 3 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A Licensed Cosmetologist provides various services, such as hairstyling, skincare, nail treatments, and makeup. They are responsible for complying with health and safety standards.
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.
Licensed cosmetologists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,637 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $53,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Montclair, NJ | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | The Lash Lounge | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a licensed cosmetologist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 29% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Cosmetology | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between licensed cosmetologists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Licensed Cosmetologist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 7.9% Female, 92.1% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.8% 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 | 12% | 8% |