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The differences between student office assistants 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 student office assistant, 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 $24,666 average annual salary of a student office assistant.
The top three skills for a student office assistant include data entry, phone calls and customer service. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Student Office Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $24,666 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $11.86 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 73,080 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Student office assistants are responsible for answering and directing phone calls, taking messages, and communicating with customers and other staff members. Other duties and responsibilities of a student office assistant include making and arranging appointments, monitoring and restocking office supplies, and helping with some administrative tasks. They are also responsible for computing, recording, and proofreading data such as timesheets, reports, and records. This role's qualifications may vary from one organization to another, however, the basics include excellent communication skills and proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
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.
Student office assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Office Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $24,666 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $36,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Denver, CO | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Colorado | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Minneapolis Community and Technical College | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a student office assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Student Office Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between student office assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Student Office Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.7% Female, 71.3% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 10.1% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 6% | 8% |