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The differences between public affairs specialists and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a public affairs specialist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a public affairs specialist has an average salary of $66,383, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a public affairs specialist include news stories, veterans and fact sheets. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Public Affairs Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $66,383 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $31.91 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 19,889 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
Psychology research assistants take charge of the operational and administrative tasks like mailing surveys, summarizing results, and managing correspondence. The research assistants identify the areas in need of improvement and score psychological tests. They prepare the interview questions and summarize test results. Their job involves responding to research-related emails and take part in project meetings. Also, they update the content of websites and prepare reports of their progress. The skills they need in carrying out this job include communication, critical thinking, attention to detail, and technical skills.
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.
Public affairs specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Public Affairs Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $66,383 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $102,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a public affairs specialist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Public Affairs Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Communication | Nursing |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between public affairs specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Public Affairs Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |