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The differences between shop mechanics 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 shop mechanic, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a shop mechanic has an average salary of $47,377, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a shop mechanic include hand tools, preventative maintenance and hydraulic systems. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Shop Mechanic | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $47,377 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $22.78 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 100,379 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A shop mechanic is responsible for maintaining and repairing defective machinery and vehicles. Shop mechanics identify the disrupted components by inspecting and running diagnostic tests and informing the owner of the necessary procedures they need to take. They discuss the costs and expenses, the materials to be used, and the duration to fix the machine upon analyzing its complexity. A shop mechanic monitors the shop inventory, assemble parts, and upgrade engines and machinery for optimal performance.
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.
Shop mechanics and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Shop Mechanic | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $47,377 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $64,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Wilson Construction | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a shop mechanic and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Shop Mechanic | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between shop mechanics' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Shop Mechanic | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.4% Female, 3.6% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 2.4% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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 | 2% | 8% |