Patient care technician vs nurse

The differences between patient care technicians and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, 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 nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Patient care technician vs nurse overview

	Patient Care Technician	Nurse
Yearly salary	$32,806	$57,564
Hourly rate	$15.77	$27.68
Growth rate	9%	6%
Number of jobs	167,520	696,124
Job satisfaction	5	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	34	44
Years of experience	-	2

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 nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Patient care technician vs nurse salary

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

	Patient Care Technician	Nurse
Average salary	$32,806	$57,564
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Vermont	California
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Conviva
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between patient care technician and nurse education

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

	Patient Care Technician	Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	Emory University	Duke University

Patient care technician vs nurse demographics

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

	Patient Care Technician	Nurse
Average age	34	44
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	15%	9%

Differences between patient care technician and nurse 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.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Patient care technician vs nurse skills

Common patient care technician skills

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

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

Patient Care Technician vs. similar jobs

Patient Care Technician related careers

Patient Care Technician related jobs

Patient Care Technician jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Patient Care Technician
Patient Care Technician vs Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs