Wildlife technician vs certified medical technician

The differences between wildlife technicians and certified medical technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a wildlife technician, 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 $33,462 average annual salary of a wildlife technician.

The top three skills for a wildlife technician include GPS, hand tools and harvest. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Wildlife technician vs certified medical technician overview

	Wildlife Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$33,462	$38,859
Hourly rate	$16.09	$18.68
Growth rate	9%	5%
Number of jobs	9,809	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a wildlife technician do?

A wildlife technician is responsible for supporting wildlife biologists and management personnel on conducting research projects for habitat preservation and environmental welfare. Wildlife technicians create data reports, assist in laboratory examinations, collect biological samples, and maintaining the safety and security of the premises by observing surveillance equipment and adhering to safety policies and protocols. They also operate and inspect the efficiency of tools and equipment, provide routine maintenance, and request immediate repairs as necessary. A wildlife technician helps in planning wildlife programs and managing information dissemination to the public.

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.

Wildlife technician vs certified medical technician salary

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

	Wildlife Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$33,462	$38,859
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $44,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Alaska
Best paying company	Boulder County	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between wildlife technician and certified medical technician education

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

	Wildlife Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	University of Connecticut

Wildlife technician vs certified medical technician demographics

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

	Wildlife Technician	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	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%

Differences between wildlife technician and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Wildlife technician example responsibilities.

Lead fish exclusion and relocation efforts, using backpack electro fishing gear.
Research new techniques to properly manage invasive species such a common carp.
Perform automated DNA and RNA extraction of clinical specimens.
Collect and process biological samples for epidemiology PCR and RT-PCR studies.
Work with other volunteers and sometimes independently to search for, identify and record GPS coordinates of invasive plant species.
Extract nematode specimens from soil samples, remount old nematode slides, and enter vital information into USDA nematode collection database.

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.

Wildlife technician vs certified medical technician skills

Common wildlife technician skills

GPS, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Harvest, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Wildlife Habitat, 6%
GRASS, 5%

Common certified medical technician skills

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

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Wildlife Technician
Wildlife Technician vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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