Patient care technician vs phlebotomy technician

The differences between patient care technicians and phlebotomy technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a phlebotomy technician has an average salary of $34,725, 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 phlebotomy technician are patients, infection control, and blood specimens.

Patient care technician vs phlebotomy technician overview

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomy Technician
Yearly salary	$32,806	$34,725
Hourly rate	$15.77	$16.69
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	167,520	107,110
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 18%
Average age	34	44
Years of experience	-	12

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 phlebotomy technician do?

A phlebotomy technician is responsible for conducting the medical procedure of drawing blood samples using extraction tools and other equipment. Phlebotomy technicians label the samples for laboratory examinations, donation testing, and other related purposes. They also inspect and maintain the cleanliness of medical equipment, including sterilization of needles and other tools, to avoid contamination that would affect the accuracy of the results. A phlebotomy technician records fluid tests and procedures for reference and patient examination history.

Patient care technician vs phlebotomy technician salary

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

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomy Technician
Average salary	$32,806	$34,725
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $26,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	-
Highest paying state	Vermont	-
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between patient care technician and phlebotomy technician education

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

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomy Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 18%
Most common major	Nursing	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	Emory University	University of Connecticut

Patient care technician vs phlebotomy technician demographics

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

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomy Technician
Average age	34	44
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 16.3% Female, 83.7%
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, 11.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	15%	8%

Differences between patient care technician and phlebotomy 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.

Phlebotomy technician example responsibilities.

Communicate and collaborate with care team members to implement a plan of care for oncology and surgical patients.
Comply with CLIA regulations for CLIA Waivedtesting.
Transport patients/clients using wheelchair or stretchers and assist patients with walking and exercise.
Operate electrocardiogram (EKG), and other equipment to administer routine diagnostic tests.
Assist patients with ADL's, implementation of therapy according to plan of treatment.
Assist patients with tending to personal care and activities of daily living (ADL).

Patient care technician vs phlebotomy technician skills

Common patient care technician skills

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

Common phlebotomy technician skills

Patients, 19%
Infection Control, 9%
Blood Specimens, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Cleanliness, 6%
Specimen Collection, 6%

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Patient Care Technician vs Phlebotomy Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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