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The differences between specimen technicians and certified pharmacist technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a specimen technician has an average salary of $39,267, which is higher than the $37,059 average annual salary of a certified pharmacist technician.
The top three skills for a specimen technician include patients, data entry and medical terminology. The most important skills for a certified pharmacist technician are patients, direct supervision, and math.
| Specimen Technician | Certified Pharmacist Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,267 | $37,059 |
| Hourly rate | $18.88 | $17.82 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 79,207 | 113,033 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 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.
A certified pharmacist technician is responsible for assisting patients by providing medicines based on their needs or their physicians' prescriptions. Certified pharmacist technicians must be able to supply the correct medications, including the right dosage to patients. They must also have a broad understanding of the medical industry, providing medicinal information to patients and referring them to the right health professionals as needed. Certified pharmacist technicians also monitor medicine inventories, manage supplies, and create sales reports.
Specimen technicians and certified pharmacist technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Specimen Technician | Certified Pharmacist Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,267 | $37,059 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $27,000 And $50,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Integrated Resources | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a specimen technician and a certified pharmacist technician in terms of educational background:
| Specimen Technician | Certified Pharmacist Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Biology | Pharmacy |
| Most common college | New York University | - |
Here are the differences between specimen technicians' and certified pharmacist technicians' demographics:
| Specimen Technician | Certified Pharmacist Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2% |
| 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, 8.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.1% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |