Office clerical assistant vs certified medical technician

The differences between office clerical assistants 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 an office clerical 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 $28,373 average annual salary of an office clerical assistant.

The top three skills for an office clerical assistant include data entry, customer service and patients. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Office clerical assistant vs certified medical technician overview

	Office Clerical Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$28,373	$38,859
Hourly rate	$13.64	$18.68
Growth rate	-5%	5%
Number of jobs	83,010	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	47	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does an office clerical assistant do?

Office clerical assistants are professionals who are responsible for performing a variety of clerical tasks within an organization's office. These assistants must provide office assistance functions such as responding to emails, filing papers, and preparing schedules while handling customers at the front desk. They are required to use automated word processing equipment to produce correspondence, forms, or reports. Clerical assistants must also answer high profile telephone calls and forward the messages to the appropriate person.

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.

Office clerical assistant vs certified medical technician salary

Office clerical assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Office Clerical Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$28,373	$38,859
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between office clerical assistant and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between an office clerical assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Office Clerical Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	Western Carolina University	University of Connecticut

Office clerical assistant vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between office clerical assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Office Clerical Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	47	44
Gender ratio	Male, 18.5% Female, 81.5%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 7.4% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	6%	8%

Differences between office clerical assistant and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Office clerical assistant example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Prepare payroll summary and submit to accountant for direct deposit.
Provide efficient and professional telephone services in challenging mental health office while upholding confidentiality under HIPAA standards.
Charge entry on EMR program software HCS Interactant.
Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.

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.

Office clerical assistant vs certified medical technician skills

Common office clerical assistant skills

Data Entry, 20%
Customer Service, 20%
Patients, 12%
Word Processing, 9%
Office Equipment, 5%
Windows, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

Office Clerical Assistant vs. similar jobs

Office Clerical Assistant related careers

Office Clerical Assistant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Office Clerical Assistant
Office Clerical Assistant vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs