Medical laboratory technician vs certified medical technician

The differences between medical laboratory technicians 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 medical laboratory technician and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

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

Medical laboratory technician vs certified medical technician overview

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$51,780	$38,859
Hourly rate	$24.89	$18.68
Growth rate	16%	5%
Number of jobs	88,721	164,424
Job satisfaction	3.33	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a medical laboratory technician do?

A medical laboratory technician is responsible for assisting medical health professionals in conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and provide treatments. Medical laboratory technicians ensure the sanitation of all the tools and equipment before conducting tests. They collect adequate blood samples and specimens, analyze fluid elements, utilize laboratory equipment safely, create reports of findings, and alert medical personnel and medical technologists of emergency conditions. A medical laboratory technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry disciplines and processes to perform sensitive tasks and release accurate medical results.

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.

Medical laboratory technician vs certified medical technician salary

Medical laboratory technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$51,780	$38,859
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $71,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical laboratory technician and certified medical technician education

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science	Nursing
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	University of Connecticut

Medical laboratory technician vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% 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 medical laboratory technician and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Medical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
Accomplish constant multitasking between phlebotomy, reception and lab on a daily basis while providing outstanding customer communication skills.
Conduct clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and specimen analysis in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, serology and immunology.
Experience in the areas of chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, coagulation and microbiology specimen preparation.
Serve as rotational general laboratory technician in urinalysis, serology, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, and shipping.
Pass and receive ASCP MLT certification upon graduation.

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.

Medical laboratory technician vs certified medical technician skills

Common medical laboratory technician skills

Medical Laboratory, 10%
Patients, 10%
ASCP, 9%
Clinical Laboratory, 8%
MLT, 6%
Patient Care, 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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Medical Laboratory Technician vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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