Patient care technician vs medical service technician

The differences between patient care technicians and medical service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical service technician has an average salary of $37,943, 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 medical service technician are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Patient care technician vs medical service technician overview

	Patient Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Yearly salary	$32,806	$37,943
Hourly rate	$15.77	$18.24
Growth rate	9%	7%
Number of jobs	167,520	189,362
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	34	36
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 medical service technician do?

A medical service technician provides health care and treatments to patients under the supervision or directives of a more experienced physician. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assessing a patient's condition, administering required aid, diagnosing patients, conducting check-ups, and counseling patients. There are also instances when a medical service technician may prescribe medications, conduct inspections at facilities to ensure sanitary conditions, and coordinate with hospital staff for requesting supplies. Furthermore, it is crucial to have accurate documentation of all processes and transactions, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and standards.

Patient care technician vs medical service technician salary

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

	Patient Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Average salary	$32,806	$37,943
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $23,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	Salem, MA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Connecticut
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Sunrise Systems
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between patient care technician and medical service technician education

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

	Patient Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	University of Virginia

Patient care technician vs medical service technician demographics

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

	Patient Care Technician	Medical Service Technician
Average age	34	36
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2%
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, 6.5% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	15%	8%

Differences between patient care technician and medical service 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.

Medical service technician example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
Administer and document vaccinations and perform strep tests, finger sticks, urinalysis, and various need lab tests.
Run QC on all lab instrumentation ensuring reports are within acceptable limits.
Keep track of all POC inventory, reagents, QC materials and equipment validations.
Apply cold packs to affect injuries of the patient, fit crutches on patients.
Maintain all training and CPR certifications in order to actively participate in codes with in the hospital.

Patient care technician vs medical service technician skills

Common patient care technician skills

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

Common medical service technician skills

Patients, 18%
Customer Service, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%
Infection Control, 5%
Phlebotomy, 4%
CPR, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Patient Care Technician
Patient Care Technician vs Medical Service Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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