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The differences between orthopedic technicians 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 orthopedic technician, 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 $37,658 average annual salary of an orthopedic technician.
The top three skills for an orthopedic technician include patients, traction and splints. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Orthopedic Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,658 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $18.10 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 26,316 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
An Orthopedic Technician is a specialist in applying a cast to the limbs and other parts of the patient's body following an accident, orthopedic condition, or post-surgery. Duties include positioning limbs in ready positions for cast fitting, implementing appropriate casting for each case, applying braces, orthopedic splints, slings, and bandaging, and providing walking aids for patients. They are responsible for advising the patient on proper care for their casts and checking for infection signs after its removal. They are also responsible for ensuring the plaster room is neat and fully stocked with supplies and equipment. Orthopedic Technicians help in completing patient records and supervise the training of junior staff.
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.
Orthopedic technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Orthopedic Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,658 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $49,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Burlingame, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Nicklaus Children's Hospital | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an orthopedic technician and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Orthopedic Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between orthopedic technicians' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Orthopedic Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 5% | 8% |