Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between park interpretive specialists 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 park interpretive specialist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a park interpretive specialist has an average salary of $43,411, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a park interpretive specialist include interpretive programs, cultural history and natural resources. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $43,411 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $20.87 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 1,286 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A park interpretive specialist's role involves the interpretation and preparation of information for park exhibitions and tours. This role is responsible for conducting educational tours to explain the interrelationship between animals and plants in the park, environmental conservation education efforts, and acting as a guide on trails. Park interpretive specialists also prepare photos and videos for visitor education, pick out artifacts and specimens for exhibits, and liaise with other staff on schedules and themes for programs.
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.
Park interpretive specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $43,411 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $80,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Dover, DE | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Student Conservation Association | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a park interpretive specialist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between park interpretive specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 0.8% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | 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% |