Rig operator vs certified medical technician

The differences between rig operators 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 rig operator, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $38,713 average annual salary of a rig operator.

The top three skills for a rig operator include CDL, productivity standards and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Rig operator vs certified medical technician overview

	Rig Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$38,713	$38,859
Hourly rate	$18.61	$18.68
Growth rate	-	5%
Number of jobs	30,722	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a rig operator do?

A drill rig operator drills holes on the ground for different purposes. There are different types of rig operators depending on what they drill. There are rotary drill operators who drill oil and gas, and there is the rig operator who drills sewer holes and boreholes, among others. Their duties and responsibilities include receiving instructions on the drilling parameters and other procedures, checking and setting up equipment required for drilling, and offering assistance to other crew members.

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.

Rig operator vs certified medical technician salary

Rig operators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Rig Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$38,713	$38,859
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $52,000	Between $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 rig operator and certified medical technician education

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

	Rig Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	-	University of Connecticut

Rig operator vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between rig operators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Rig Operator	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 97.5% Female, 2.5%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 24.6% Asian, 1.2% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	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	2%	8%

Differences between rig operator and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Rig operator example responsibilities.

Perform maintenance and repair of equipment including welding and fabrication of augers and drill bits.
Train in H2S regulation and prevention.
Regulate boiler blow down, backwash and clean condensers.
Log and sample soil, rock and water for environmental and geotechnical analysis.
Control power hoisting equipment to pull casing, tubing, and rods from production wells.
Operate a 3 man pulling unit, operate a reverse unit, run packers, and daily reports

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.

Rig operator vs certified medical technician skills

Common rig operator skills

CDL, 22%
Productivity Standards, 16%
Customer Satisfaction, 11%
Efficient Maintenance, 8%
Well Control, 6%
Work Ethic, 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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Rig Operator vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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