Medical research scientist vs certified medical technician

The differences between medical research 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 medical research scientist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical research scientist has an average salary of $78,125, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a medical research scientist include PCR, research findings and GMP. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Medical research scientist vs certified medical technician overview

	Medical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$78,125	$38,859
Hourly rate	$37.56	$18.68
Growth rate	17%	5%
Number of jobs	129,653	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	4	12

Medical research scientist vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Medical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$78,125	$38,859
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $129,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Alaska
Best paying company	Oak Ridge National Laboratory	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between medical research scientist and certified medical technician education

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

	Medical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Connecticut

Medical research scientist vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Medical Research Scientist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 40.0% Female, 60.0%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 27.2% White, 52.8% 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 medical research scientist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Medical research scientist example responsibilities.

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Experience working in a GMP regulate environment.
Experience with``firefight"responses and working with FDA.
Mouse colony maintenance are paramount, mouse genotyping, data organization.
Evaluate total tissue proteins and serum responses by ELISA, fluorescent and clotting assays.
Design and execute experiments to test the anti-allergic effect of CMP against grass, tree and ragweed pollen allergies.

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 research scientist vs certified medical technician skills

Common medical research scientist skills

PCR, 21%
Research Findings, 20%
GMP, 17%
Genotyping, 15%
Elisa, 13%
Extraction, 7%

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 Research Scientist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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