Staff psychologist vs certified medical technician

The differences between staff psychologists 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 staff psychologist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a staff psychologist has an average salary of $77,671, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a staff psychologist include patients, group therapy and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Staff psychologist vs certified medical technician overview

	Staff Psychologist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$77,671	$38,859
Hourly rate	$37.34	$18.68
Growth rate	14%	5%
Number of jobs	85,221	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a staff psychologist do?

A staff psychologist is responsible for monitoring patients with mental health conditions and conducting counseling services to observe their behaviors and diagnose their developmental disorders. Staff psychologists develop treatment plans and administer medications for the patients and may also facilitate referrals to other institutions and medical professionals for further examinations. They utilize necessary resources, especially therapy programs, to manage the patients' conditions and document their progress during each session. A staff psychologist seeks advice from other mental health experts to identify case management concepts and assessments.

What does a certified medical technician do?

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.

Staff psychologist vs certified medical technician salary

Staff psychologists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Psychologist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$77,671	$38,859
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $110,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Kaiser Permanente	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between staff psychologist and certified medical technician education

There are a few differences between a staff psychologist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:

	Staff Psychologist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Psychology	Nursing
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Connecticut

Staff psychologist vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between staff psychologists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Staff Psychologist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.7% Female, 56.3%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 76.4% 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	12%	8%

Differences between staff psychologist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Staff psychologist example responsibilities.

Provide psychological therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder, deficit/hyperactive disorder, specific learning disorder and others mental diagnosis.
Provide consultation regarding appropriate placement/treatment of juveniles in the DJJ system.

Certified medical technician example responsibilities.

Maintain the cleanliness of storage areas, trays, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers and work area.
Administer medications to patients according to their medication record as scheduled, as needed according to physician orders.
Perform laboratory test and procedures in areas including chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and bacteriology.
Perform first aid and apply CPR when necessary.
Perform first aid or CPR during medical emergencies until paramedics arrive.
Assist the residents in their ADL needs and prepare their meals.

Staff psychologist vs certified medical technician skills

Common staff psychologist skills

Patients, 14%
Group Therapy, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Veterans, 6%
Treatment Planning, 5%
Social Work, 5%

Common certified medical technician skills

Patients, 17%
Vital Signs, 12%
CPR, 8%
Administer Medications, 7%
Resident Care, 6%
HIPAA, 6%

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Staff Psychologist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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