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The differences between specimen technicians and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a specimen technician and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a specimen technician has an average salary of $39,267, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a specimen technician include patients, data entry and medical terminology. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Specimen Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,267 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $18.88 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 79,207 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A specimen technician is responsible for processing a human's medical sample and specimen in a laboratory setting to diagnose medical conditions and identify treatment plans. Specimen technicians operate various laboratory tools and equipment, requiring them to strictly adhere to safety guidelines and protocols to avoid potential hazards and potential disease contamination. They also record laboratory findings accurately and write comprehensive reports for the patients' and doctors' reference. A specimen technician may refer test results to other institutions for second opinions as needed for further investigation before the release of findings.
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.
Specimen technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Specimen Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,267 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Integrated Resources | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a specimen technician and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Specimen Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between specimen technicians' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Specimen Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 8% | 8% |