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The differences between principal technical writers and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a principal technical writer, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a principal technical writer has an average salary of $66,896, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a principal technical writer include java, develop user and XML. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Principal Technical Writer | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $66,896 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $32.16 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 118,883 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A Principal Technical Writer creates useful tutorials, videos, and product documentation in fast-paced environments. Besides writing highly technical content describing the product functionality, Principal Technical Writers also develop project programs, maintain specific project schedules and update the documentation manager about the documentation status. They put together and offer online help and enhance the first-user experience by developing tutorials. Moreover, a Principal Technical Writer delivers meaningful UI strings and useful error-free messages by working hand-in-hand with user experience team members.
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.
Principal technical writers and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Technical Writer | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $66,896 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $88,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a principal technical writer and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Principal Technical Writer | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | English | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Houston | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between principal technical writers' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Principal Technical Writer | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.9% Female, 48.1% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 71.3% 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 | 11% | 8% |