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The differences between systems support specialists 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 systems support specialist, becoming a certified medical technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a systems support specialist has an average salary of $61,744, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a systems support specialist include customer service, troubleshoot and technical support. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Systems Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $61,744 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $29.68 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 159,364 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A systems support specialist is responsible for assisting end-users on system issues, including network configuration and improving network infrastructure. System support specialists implement network strategies alongside the whole technology team to boost the system's efficiency and optimal performance. They create resolution reports for reference and write recommendations to prevent system defects and inconsistencies. A systems support specialist also handles network installations and upgrades, requiring them to have excellent technical skills and knowledge of programming languages.
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.
Systems support specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Systems Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $61,744 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $91,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Centreville, VA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a systems support specialist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Systems Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between systems support specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Systems Support Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.4% Female, 26.6% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 11% | 8% |