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The differences between satellite technicians 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 satellite technician, 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 $36,473 average annual salary of a satellite technician.
The top three skills for a satellite technician include work ethic, broadband and strong customer service. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Satellite Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,473 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $17.54 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 91,117 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Satellite technicians are responsible for giving installation and repair solutions for satellite dishes, which generally deliver TV or internet signals. Primary tasks include installing, upgrading, and maintaining residential satellite products and optimizing the service they give. The technicians' duties may also include placing the dish, routing the cable where it needs to go, and making sure that the service is online and attached to the customer's devices. Additionally, they may engage in remote troubleshooting when a customer calls with a problem. These technicians can work as an independent contractor or directly for a company.
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.
Satellite technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Satellite Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,473 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $44,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Concord, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Alaska |
| Best paying company | GLOBALTECH HOLDINGS | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a satellite technician and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Satellite Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between satellite technicians' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Satellite Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 5.0% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 5% | 8% |