Pediatric physician assistant vs certified medical technician

The differences between pediatric physician assistants and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pediatric physician assistant has an average salary of $159,438, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a pediatric physician assistant include patients, internal medicine and pediatric emergency. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Pediatric physician assistant vs certified medical technician overview

	Pediatric Physician Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$159,438	$38,859
Hourly rate	$76.65	$18.68
Growth rate	28%	5%
Number of jobs	52,560	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	39	44
Years of experience	-	12

What does a pediatric physician assistant do?

A pediatric physician assistant's role is to assist pediatricians and patients in a medical facility. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering young patients' personal information and medical histories, maintaining and updating records, escorting patients to different rooms, relaying important details to families and guardians, and displaying a positive and friendly attitude to patients. There are also instances when a pediatric physician assistant must run errands, coordinate with other physician assistants, and maintain the cleanliness and sanitation of particular areas.

What does a certified medical technician do?

Certified Medical Technicians are specialists in medical diagnoses by performing laboratory testing and analysis for hospitals and physicians. Their duties include lab sanitization to prepare for testing and collection, recording medical samples for testing, specimen preparation, blood drawing for donation and testing, and assisting physicians with sample collection as well as equipment handling in surgical rooms. They must also understand how to use complex and sensitive testing equipment such as cell counters, analyzers, microscopes, and centrifuges.

Pediatric physician assistant vs certified medical technician salary

Pediatric physician assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pediatric Physician Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$159,438	$38,859
Salary range	Between $92,000 And $273,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Fargo, ND	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Nebraska	Alaska
Best paying company	Billings Clinic	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between pediatric physician assistant and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a pediatric physician assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Pediatric Physician Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Physician Assistant	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	University of Connecticut

Pediatric physician assistant vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between pediatric physician assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Pediatric Physician Assistant	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	39	44
Gender ratio	Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 11.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 15.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	12%	8%

Differences between pediatric physician assistant and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Pediatric physician assistant example responsibilities.

Manage general medical problems and medications for inpatient adult and pediatric patients including inpatient rounding, admission and discharge summaries.
Obtain histories and perform physical examinations for new and establish adult and pediatric patients.
Compound epidural for pregnant women in labor.
Excel at maintaining medical records within the EMR.
Utilize multiple inpatient and outpatient EMR and PACS systems.
Order and review radiographs, MRI's and electromyographies.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Pediatric physician assistant vs certified medical technician skills

Common pediatric physician assistant skills

Patients, 33%
Internal Medicine, 14%
Pediatric Emergency, 11%
Patient Care, 9%
EMR, 9%
Outpatient Clinic, 3%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Pediatric Physician Assistant
Pediatric Physician Assistant vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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