Patient care technician vs nurse technician

The differences between patient care technicians and nurse technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a nurse technician has an average salary of $33,005, 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 technician are patients, CPR, and vital signs.

Patient care technician vs nurse technician overview

	Patient Care Technician	Nurse Technician
Yearly salary	$32,806	$33,005
Hourly rate	$15.77	$15.87
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	167,520	195,553
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	34	42
Years of experience	-	3

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 technician do?

Nurse technicians, also known as nursing aides, assistants, or attendants, usually work in clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes. Primarily, they help a registered nurse by providing essential mobility, care, and support to patients. Everyday routine duties include maintaining patients' hygiene and moving them using wheelchairs or stretchers around the facility for their meals, treatment, events, and other activities. They do tasks that help improve a patient's comfort level and become their caregivers in the long run. This job requires a high school diploma along with the completed certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.

Patient care technician vs nurse technician salary

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

	Patient Care Technician	Nurse Technician
Average salary	$32,806	$33,005
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Oregon
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Carondelet High School
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient care technician and nurse technician education

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

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

Patient care technician vs nurse technician demographics

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

	Patient Care Technician	Nurse Technician
Average age	34	42
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 8.0% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	15%	7%

Differences between patient care technician and nurse 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.

Nurse technician example responsibilities.

Manage memory unity within facility.
Deliver timely and quality patient care on rehabilitation unit under direct supervision of staff nurses.
Assist patients with ADL's: bathing, transferring, ambulating, changing bed linens, skin care, etc.
Assist and serve patients with activities of daily living (ADL) in a manner conductive to their safety and comfort.
Assist new surgical patients with appropriate equipment to meet rehabilitation needs, and offer mental encouragement for a more positive recovery.
Pick up patient for surgery.

Patient care technician vs nurse technician skills

Common patient care technician skills

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

Common nurse technician skills

Patients, 26%
CPR, 9%
Vital Signs, 8%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Home Health, 5%
Direct Patient Care, 5%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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