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The differences between sterile processing technicians 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 sterile processing technician, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $38,299 average annual salary of a sterile processing technician.
The top three skills for a sterile processing technician include patients, sterilizers and IAHCSMM. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Sterile Processing Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,299 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $18.41 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 21,592 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A sterile processing technician is responsible for performing the sterilization process and decontamination for all laboratory equipment and medical equipment to avoid the spread of infections, especially on medical procedures and critical laboratory tests. Sterile processing technicians follow a strict process of sterilizing equipment, including replacing defective tools, and proper waste procedures of disposable items. They must also adhere to the safety and sanitary standards on duty. They monitor inventories, deliver sterilized equipment to appropriate medical personnel, and organize equipment for medical procedures.
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.
Sterile processing technicians and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sterile Processing Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,299 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $50,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Blessing Hospital Emergency Room | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a sterile processing technician and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Sterile Processing Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 30% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between sterile processing technicians' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Sterile Processing Technician | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 9.5% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | 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% |