Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs certified medical technician

The differences between outpatient physical therapist assistants and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an outpatient physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $54,009, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for an outpatient physical therapist assistant include patients, rehabilitation and PTA. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs certified medical technician overview

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$54,009	$38,859
Hourly rate	$25.97	$18.68
Growth rate	24%	5%
Number of jobs	62,717	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	-	12

What does an outpatient physical therapist assistant do?

A PTA (physical therapist assistant) helps a physical therapist carry out a treatment or rehabilitation program. Outpatient PTAs provide patients with physical therapy support services in a private space, clinic, or other facilities. Their responsibilities often involve setting up equipment to be used by patients, documenting patient progress, and cleaning the therapy area between appointments. PTA duties include assisting patients to do exercises, warm-ups, stretching, using equipment, and other movements prescribed by physical therapists during appointments.

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.

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs certified medical technician salary

Outpatient physical therapist assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$54,009	$38,859
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $71,000	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

Differences between outpatient physical therapist assistant and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between an outpatient physical therapist assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Physical Therapy	Nursing
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Connecticut

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between outpatient physical therapist assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 26.7% Female, 73.3%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 9.3% White, 66.8% 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	7%	8%

Differences between outpatient physical therapist assistant and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Outpatient physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
Work as PTA in outpatient clinic and home health.
Work as PTA as part of team to execute proper care of body mechanics and safety of patient.
Prepare garments and accessories for processing through ALM's for contamination detection.
Focus on spinal cord injuries, strokes, orthopedic, dementia, functional training in ADL's.
Perform maintenance on various types of wheelchair, walkers, and physical therapy equipment requiring repair and/or modification.

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.

Outpatient physical therapist assistant vs certified medical technician skills

Common outpatient physical therapist assistant skills

Patients, 38%
Rehabilitation, 17%
PTA, 11%
Home Health, 5%
Physical Therapy, 4%
Quality Patient Care, 3%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant
Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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