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Rehab aide vs certified medical technician

The differences between rehab aides and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $27,050 average annual salary of a rehab aide.

The top three skills for a rehab aide include patients, rehabilitation and scheduling appointments. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Rehab aide vs certified medical technician overview

Rehab AideCertified Medical Technician
Yearly salary$27,050$38,859
Hourly rate$13.00$18.68
Growth rate24%5%
Number of jobs41,872164,424
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age3944
Years of experience-12

What does a rehab aide do?

A rehab aide is responsible for supporting the rehabilitation team in performing medical and therapy treatments for patients with disabilities and health conditions. Rehab aides perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, such as updating patients' information on the database, responding to patients' concerns, processing medical payments, administering medications, and assisting rehabilitation staff on medical procedures. They also monitor patients' conditions, create reports, and keep an organized medical chart for reference. A rehab aide should be highly communicative and organizational, especially on attending to each patient's needs under different circumstances with high-quality services.

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.

Rehab aide vs certified medical technician salary

Rehab aides and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Rehab AideCertified Medical Technician
Average salary$27,050$38,859
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $34,000Between $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

Differences between rehab aide and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a rehab aide and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

Rehab AideCertified Medical Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common majorKinesiologyNursing
Most common collegeInter American University of Puerto Rico San GermanUniversity of Connecticut

Rehab aide vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between rehab aides' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

Rehab AideCertified Medical Technician
Average age3944
Gender ratioMale, 28.4% Female, 71.6%Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 8.6% White, 67.0% 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 Percentage7%8%

Differences between rehab aide and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Rehab aide example responsibilities.

  • Assist therapists with exercises, transfers, and ADL's.
  • Perform therapeutic ultrasounds, electrical muscle stimulation, Iontophoresis and DRS on patients as needed.
  • Administer prescribe therapeutic exercise for patients with cervical, lumbar, shoulder, hip and knee injuries.
  • Provide pre-therapy moist heat, set up patients on various machines, and deliver cryotherapy to patients.
  • Assist patients with exercises using crutches and a variety of physical/ occupational and wheelchair chair clinic equipment.
  • Provide patients with instruction for exercises (including home programs), thermotherapy, cryotherapy, and electrotherapy.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Rehab aide vs certified medical technician skills

Common rehab aide skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Rehabilitation, 15%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 9%
  • Splints, 6%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Compassion, 6%
Common certified medical technician skills
  • Patients, 17%
  • Vital Signs, 12%
  • CPR, 8%
  • Administer Medications, 7%
  • Resident Care, 6%
  • HIPAA, 6%

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