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The differences between registered nurses charge nurses 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 registered nurse charge nurse, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a registered nurse charge nurse has an average salary of $71,342, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a registered nurse charge nurse include patients, BLS and CPR. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $71,342 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $34.30 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 645,134 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A registered charge nurse is responsible for supervising nurses' workflow in a particular department or area, ensuring every patient gets the proper care that they need. A registered charge nurse has the discretion to direct tasks, arrange schedules, and monitor patients, such as in the aspects of admission and discharge. Furthermore, a registered charge nurse must maintain an active line of communication and coordination among nurses, physicians, and other personnel involved as the conditions in a hospital can be unpredictable.
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.
Registered nurses charge nurses and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $71,342 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $110,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Diego, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Alameda Health System | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a registered nurse charge nurse and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between registered nurses charge nurses' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Registered Nurse Charge Nurse | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.1% Female, 87.9% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% 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 | 9% | 8% |