Nutritionist vs certified medical technician

The differences between nutritionists 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 nutritionist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a nutritionist has an average salary of $49,877, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a nutritionist include patients, public health and wic program. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Nutritionist vs certified medical technician overview

	Nutritionist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$49,877	$38,859
Hourly rate	$23.98	$18.68
Growth rate	7%	5%
Number of jobs	698	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	42	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a nutritionist do?

A nutritionist is a health professional who helps patients choose the right things to eat and advise them on the health effects of certain foods. By being experts in food and nutrition, nutritionists assess a patient's dietary habits and create plan menus for them. They usually work closely with patients who have medical issues such as diabetes or those undergoing chemotherapy. Nutritionists are also required to speak to students or employees about the importance of good nutrition and preventing health problems through proper foods.

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.

Nutritionist vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Nutritionist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$49,877	$38,859
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $80,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Cargill	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Finance	Health Care

Differences between nutritionist and certified medical technician education

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

	Nutritionist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Dietetics	Nursing
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	University of Connecticut

Nutritionist vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Nutritionist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	42	44
Gender ratio	Male, 15.8% Female, 84.2%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 9.9% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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 nutritionist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Nutritionist example responsibilities.

Lead weekly nutritional education workshops on diabetes management, in addition to providing individual counseling.
Inspire patients to proactively manage their diabetes, to include administering insulin and taking prescribe medications.
Follow up in the out-patient GI clinic for tube feeding regimens, assessing growth and food allergies.
Establish clients via social media; maintain Facebook page.
Develop training table menus for all NCAA scholarship athletes and attend training table.
Provide complete instruction and advice to patients with diet-relate problems like diabetics, hypertension.

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.

Nutritionist vs certified medical technician skills

Common nutritionist skills

Patients, 21%
Public Health, 8%
WIC Program, 7%
RD, 6%
Food Service, 6%
Medical Nutrition Therapy, 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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Nutritionist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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