Pathology laboratory aide vs certified medical technician

The differences between pathology laboratory aides 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 a pathology laboratory aide and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $31,579 average annual salary of a pathology laboratory aide.

The top three skills for a pathology laboratory aide include frozen sections, anatomic pathology and medical terminology. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Pathology laboratory aide vs certified medical technician overview

	Pathology Laboratory Aide	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$31,579	$38,859
Hourly rate	$15.18	$18.68
Growth rate	36%	5%
Number of jobs	79,291	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

Pathology laboratory aide vs certified medical technician salary

Pathology laboratory aides and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pathology Laboratory Aide	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$31,579	$38,859
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $46,000	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 pathology laboratory aide and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a pathology laboratory aide and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Pathology Laboratory Aide	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	New York University	University of Connecticut

Pathology laboratory aide vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between pathology laboratory aides' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Pathology Laboratory Aide	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 20.3% Female, 79.7%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	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%

Differences between pathology laboratory aide and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Pathology laboratory aide example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Work with the SLP to implement their speech and language goals in a proper and efficient manner.
Plan activities base on assign student's IEP to encourage appropriate independence and facilitate/support student's participation in all activities.
Collect and distribute data for GLP and non-GLP studies.
Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise kindergarten or elementary school programs.

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.

Pathology laboratory aide vs certified medical technician skills

Common pathology laboratory aide skills

Frozen Sections, 37%
Anatomic Pathology, 32%
Medical Terminology, 31%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Pathology Laboratory Aide
Pathology Laboratory Aide vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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