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The differences between merchandising assistants and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a merchandising assistant, 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 $34,679 average annual salary of a merchandising assistant.
The top three skills for a merchandising assistant include sales floor, customer service and customer issues. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Merchandising Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $34,679 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $16.67 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 22,645 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
A merchandising assistant is responsible for contributing new goods and services for the business, identifying business opportunities based on the market demands to drive revenues and increase profitability. Merchandising assistants also monitor stock inventories, negotiating with suppliers and other third-party vendors for deliveries, and strategizing on how to minimize costs without compromising the quality. They also help with arranging product displays, developing marketing campaigns, and planning promotional offers to attract customers for purchase. A merchandising assistant must have excellent communication skills, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, and directing them to the appropriate section for their needs.
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.
Merchandising assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandising Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $34,679 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $46,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Softpath System | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a merchandising assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Merchandising Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between merchandising assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Merchandising Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% 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 | 9% | 8% |