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The differences between pulmonary function technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a pulmonary function technician and a technician. Additionally, a pulmonary function technician has an average salary of $50,458, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.
The top three skills for a pulmonary function technician include patients, respiratory care and patient care. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Pulmonary Function Technician | Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $50,458 | $38,045 |
| Hourly rate | $24.26 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 50,955 | 596,842 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Pulmonary Function Technologists generally pay around $77K per year and require skills in respiratory care, spirometry, RRT, and understanding test results. In addition to a high school diploma, most employers will require anyone who chooses this career to have an associate degree in respiratory therapy or NBRC certification. This will be needed in a career that calls for setting up and running respective patients' respiratory tests for identifying lung diseases or disorders and conducting tests and collaborating with medical staff for possible diagnoses of lung disease.
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.
Pulmonary function technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pulmonary Function Technician | Technician | |
| Average salary | $50,458 | $38,045 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $75,000 | Between $24,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | - | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a pulmonary function technician and a technician in terms of educational background:
| Pulmonary Function Technician | Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | - |
Here are the differences between pulmonary function technicians' and technicians' demographics:
| Pulmonary Function Technician | Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 8% | 2% |