Unit secretary vs certified medical technician

The differences between unit secretaries 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 unit secretary, 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 $32,153 average annual salary of a unit secretary.

The top three skills for a unit secretary include patients, patient care and medical terminology. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Unit secretary vs certified medical technician overview

	Unit Secretary	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$32,153	$38,859
Hourly rate	$15.46	$18.68
Growth rate	-8%	5%
Number of jobs	69,543	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a unit secretary do?

Unit secretaries are administrative workers in a medical facility, usually a hospital or a clinic. They are in charge of religious activities in the unit or department they are assigned to. They manage incoming and outgoing mail, phone calls, and even appointments. They handle filing and recording of the documents of the department. They also take minutes of meetings and ensure that action plans are followed through. Unit secretaries should be familiar with the individuals in the department. They should also be accustomed to the schedule of members of the unit. Unit secretaries should be organized, dedicated, and trustworthy.

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.

Unit secretary vs certified medical technician salary

Unit secretaries and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Secretary	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$32,153	$38,859
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between unit secretary and certified medical technician education

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

	Unit Secretary	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	-	University of Connecticut

Unit secretary vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between unit secretaries' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Unit Secretary	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% 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	9%	8%

Differences between unit secretary and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Unit secretary example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management.
Manage Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Manage the medical unit by supervising its activities, accurately transcribing physician orders, and prioritizing tasks.
Conduct 6 mass vaccination campaigns, manage protein-calorie malnutrition, coordinate epidemiological surveillance, and direct health facility rehabilitation
Assist patients with their daily routine, including feeding, cleanliness and basic needs.
Post anesthesia recovery care for ophthalmology, ENT and plastic surgery patients

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.

Unit secretary vs certified medical technician skills

Common unit secretary skills

Patients, 25%
Patient Care, 13%
Medical Terminology, 10%
Customer Service, 7%
Patient Charts, 4%
Physician Orders, 4%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

Unit Secretary vs. similar jobs

Unit Secretary related careers

Unit Secretary related jobs

Unit Secretary jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Unit Secretary
Unit Secretary vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs