Research physicist vs certified medical technician

The differences between research physicists and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a research physicist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a research physicist has an average salary of $74,663, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a research physicist include data analysis, laser and python. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Research physicist vs certified medical technician overview

	Research Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$74,663	$38,859
Hourly rate	$35.90	$18.68
Growth rate	8%	5%
Number of jobs	46,060	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	48	44
Years of experience	6	12

What does a research physicist do?

A research physicist's job is to conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories based on observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories. Their duties and responsibilities include describing observations, developing simulations, and advising authorities on procedures to be followed.

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.

Research physicist vs certified medical technician salary

Research physicists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$74,663	$38,859
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $107,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Coram, NY	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Sandia National Labs	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Technology	Health Care

Differences between research physicist and certified medical technician education

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

	Research Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Physics	Nursing
Most common college	Harvard University	University of Connecticut

Research physicist vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between research physicists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Research Physicist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	48	44
Gender ratio	Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 10.8% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	24%	8%

Differences between research physicist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Research physicist example responsibilities.

Foster cross laboratory collaboration between physics labs and between engineering, biology, and chemistry departments to accomplish share goals.
Design and oversee construction of flow loop for development of multi-phase NMR flowmeter.
Develop and conduct technologists' training on MR QC, QA and safety programs.
Commission of ArcCheck (SunNuclear) for patient-specific QA of IMRT, RapidArc, and SBRT as medical physics resident.
Perform all aspects of LDR brachytherapy procedures using VariSeed 8.0 under the supervision of the physician and three ABR certify physicists
Commission TrueBeam Linac system as medical physics resident.

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.

Research physicist vs certified medical technician skills

Common research physicist skills

Data Analysis, 20%
Laser, 15%
Python, 10%
Data Collection, 8%
Technical Reports, 7%
RF, 7%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Research Physicist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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