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The differences between student research 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 research 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 $27,475 average annual salary of a student research assistant.
The top three skills for a student research assistant include lab equipment, student research and data collection. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Student Research Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $27,475 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $13.21 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 59,758 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A student research assistant is responsible for supporting the school's research department on conducting various research tasks using the techniques and resources provided by the supervising faculty. Student research assistants collect and verify research data, interpret and document findings using research methodologies, organize and prepare research materials, write research reports, and provide recommendations to improve research strategies and techniques. A student research assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multitask and be a fast-learner to interpret data within a specific time.
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 research assistants and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Student Research Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $27,475 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $37,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a student research assistant and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Student Research Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between student research assistants' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Student Research Assistant | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.1% Female, 55.9% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.7% White, 52.5% 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 | 8% | 8% |