Patient care technician vs technician

The differences between patient care technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, 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 technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Patient care technician vs technician overview

	Patient Care Technician	Technician
Yearly salary	$32,806	$38,045
Hourly rate	$15.77	$18.29
Growth rate	9%	1%
Number of jobs	167,520	596,842
Job satisfaction	5	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	34	40
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 technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Patient care technician vs technician salary

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

	Patient Care Technician	Technician
Average salary	$32,806	$38,045
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Hawaii
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Health Care	Telecommunication

Differences between patient care technician and technician education

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

	Patient Care Technician	Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	Emory University	-

Patient care technician vs technician demographics

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

	Patient Care Technician	Technician
Average age	34	40
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	15%	2%

Differences between patient care technician and 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.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Patient care technician vs technician skills

Common patient care technician skills

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

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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