Patient care technician vs health technician

The differences between patient care technicians and health technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health technician has an average salary of $37,873, which is higher than the $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.

The top three skills for a patient care technician include patients, vital signs and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a health technician are patients, excellent interpersonal, and customer service.

Patient care technician vs health technician overview

	Patient Care Technician	Health Technician
Yearly salary	$32,806	$37,873
Hourly rate	$15.77	$18.21
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	167,520	110,277
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	-	-

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

What does a health technician do?

A health technician is responsible for supporting medical operations in a health care facility by performing administrative and clerical duties, ensuring that the organization provides the highest quality care service to the patients. Health technicians process patients' information, manage their medical payments, monitor their conditions as instructed by physicians, maintain an organized medical chart, administer medication, and assist in conducting medical procedures. They also check the adequacy of stock inventories and write request reports, as well as inspecting the cleanliness of all the medical tools and equipment during operations.

Patient care technician vs health technician salary

Patient care technicians and health technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Technician	Health Technician
Average salary	$32,806	$37,873
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Meta
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between patient care technician and health technician education

There are a few differences between a patient care technician and a health technician in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Technician	Health Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	Emory University

Patient care technician vs health technician demographics

Here are the differences between patient care technicians' and health technicians' demographics:

	Patient Care Technician	Health Technician
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between patient care technician and health technician duties and responsibilities

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Health technician example responsibilities.

Maintain and manage medical and administrative records for all patients assign to clinic area to assure accurate care and patient confidentiality.
Supervise labs, diets, schedule radiology procedures, EKG's, respiratory, and medical tasks for patients.
Can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and/or initiate appropriate emergency alert notifications.
Administer ABA therapy for children with autism and provide support for other technicians when not with own clients.
Assist providers in direct physical examinations, minor procedures, emergency care to include CPR, and other clinical duties.
Assist children with autism spectrum disorders in learning life still and helping them transition successfully in all aspects of their lives.

Patient care technician vs health technician skills

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common health technician skills

Patients, 18%
Excellent Interpersonal, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Blood Pressure, 6%
Veterans, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Patient Care Technician
Patient Care Technician vs Health Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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