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The differences between research support specialists 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 support specialist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a research support specialist has an average salary of $47,994, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a research support specialist include research support, data collection and research projects. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Research Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,994 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $23.07 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 123,353 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
A research support specialist is primarily in charge of performing administrative support and analytical tasks. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing extensive research and analysis to gather necessary data, preparing and processing documentation on behalf of researchers, liaising with internal or external parties, troubleshooting problems, and maintaining records of all transactions. There are also instances when one must conduct studies, prepare manuscripts, develop strategies to optimize operations, and participate in implementing new research methods, all while adhering to the company or institution's policies and regulations.
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 support specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,994 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $70,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Sandia National Labs | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a research support specialist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Research Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between research support specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Research Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.5% Female, 61.5% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 12.4% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 10% | 8% |