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The differences between sports medicine specialists and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a sports medicine specialist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a sports medicine specialist has an average salary of $76,238, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a sports medicine specialist include patients, patient care and role model. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $76,238 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $36.65 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 50,403 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 12 |
A sports medicine specialist is a health care expert who specializes in diagnosing and treating injuries of athletes. Their responsibilities typically revolve around providing check-ups and consultations, conducting assessments and examinations, developing care and treatment plans, and providing insights to coaches when developing athletic training programs. They may also assist patients by answering inquiries and sharing care advice. A sports medicine specialist typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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.
Sports medicine specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $76,238 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $199,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Evanston, IL | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Illinois | Alaska |
| Best paying company | UnityPoint Health | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a sports medicine specialist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Nursing |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between sports medicine specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 13% | 8% |