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The differences between operating room technicians 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 an operating room technician and a certified medical technician. Additionally, an operating room technician has an average salary of $53,636, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for an operating room technician include patients, patient care and surgical procedures. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Operating Room Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $53,636 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $25.79 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 96,065 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An operating room technician is responsible for assisting in the operating room procedures, ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the room, inspecting the condition of machines before the operation, and preparing medical tools and equipment accordingly. Operating room technicians guide the patients throughout the surgical procedures, instructing them as necessary regarding the processes. They also monitor the adequacy of surgical supplies inventory and write request reports for purchase. An operating room technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multitask to attend to different patients' needs within a strict, demanding time.
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.
Operating room technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operating Room Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $53,636 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $81,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Corvallis, OR | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Maxim Healthcare Group | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an operating room technician and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Operating Room Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Nursing |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between operating room technicians' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Operating Room Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 4.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 13% | 8% |