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The differences between water treatment operators and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a water treatment operator and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a water treatment operator has an average salary of $48,112, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.
The top three skills for a water treatment operator include water treatment plant, SCADA and water samples. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Water Treatment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $48,112 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $23.13 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | -7% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 32,838 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A water treatment operator oversees the daily operations at water treatment plants, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Among their responsibilities include operating machines and equipment, collecting and testing water samples, maintaining records of meter and gauge readings, and adding chemicals according to protocols. They must also keep the cleanliness of facilities, monitor the meters and gauges, and perform equipment adjustments when necessary. Moreover, a water treatment operator must adhere to safety policies and government regulations and conduct inspections to ensure compliance in other areas.
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.
Water treatment operators and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Water Treatment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $48,112 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a water treatment operator and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Water Treatment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between water treatment operators' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Water Treatment Operator | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 47 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 1.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6% | 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 | 5% | 8% |