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The differences between microbiology laboratory assistants 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 microbiology laboratory assistant and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $32,736 average annual salary of a microbiology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a microbiology laboratory assistant include patients, lab equipment and data entry. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,736 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $15.74 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 49,910 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Microbiology Laboratory Assistants are responsible for assisting laboratory technicians with sample preparation and workplace maintenance in the area of microbiology. Their duties include preparing samples for testing, maintaining laboratory inventory, reporting inventory shortages, and producing inventory reports. Besides that, they are involved in organizing laboratory areas, sterilizing laboratory equipment, and maintain testings log. Microbiology Laboratory Assistants also assist in equipment set up, results analysis, and sample classification. They continuously ensure the operational environment complies 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.
Microbiology laboratory assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,736 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $48,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a microbiology laboratory assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between microbiology laboratory assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.2% Female, 66.8% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.2% White, 54.8% 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% |