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The differences between special agents 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 special agent, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a special agent has an average salary of $60,916, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a special agent include professional work, national security and local law enforcement. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Special Agent | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $60,916 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $29.29 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 46,232 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A special agent is responsible for investigating law violations and criminal activities by collecting pieces of evidence, including witnesses' testimonies, to release a warrant of arrest and initiate prosecution. Special agents work closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify threats, analyze occurring criminal activities, and connect intelligence records through observation and field investigations. They also attend court proceedings to present evidence for court decisions. A special agent must have excellent communication and critical-thinking skills, assessing unusual situations, and handling suspicious activities.
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.
Special agents and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Special Agent | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $60,916 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | BNSF Railway | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a special agent and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Special Agent | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Nursing |
| Most common college | - | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between special agents' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Special Agent | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.0% 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 | 9% | 8% |