Youth care specialist vs certified medical technician

The differences between youth care specialists 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 youth care specialist and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a youth care specialist has an average salary of $38,955, which is higher than the $38,859 average annual salary of a certified medical technician.

The top three skills for a youth care specialist include customer service, patients and CPR. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.

Youth care specialist vs certified medical technician overview

	Youth Care Specialist	Certified Medical Technician
Yearly salary	$38,955	$38,859
Hourly rate	$18.73	$18.68
Growth rate	12%	5%
Number of jobs	133,042	164,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Average age	43	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a youth care specialist do?

Youth care specialists are social experts who coordinate programs for children and young people who need care while being away from their own families for some reason. These specialists are required to maintain a safe environment in the community so that children will feel safe, cared for, and nurture. They must lead various seminars for youths about topics such as job readiness, financial literacy, and higher education. They must also communicate the concerns and other important information to a child's assigned social worker and provide back-up support to case managers if needed.

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.

Youth care specialist vs certified medical technician salary

Youth care specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Youth Care Specialist	Certified Medical Technician
Average salary	$38,955	$38,859
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $62,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Annapolis, MD	Denton, TX
Highest paying state	Maryland	Alaska
Best paying company	Delaware State Government	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between youth care specialist and certified medical technician education

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

	Youth Care Specialist	Certified Medical Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 28%
Most common major	Psychology	Nursing
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	University of Connecticut

Youth care specialist vs certified medical technician demographics

Here are the differences between youth care specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:

	Youth Care Specialist	Certified Medical Technician
Average age	43	44
Gender ratio	Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%	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%

Differences between youth care specialist and certified medical technician duties and responsibilities

Youth care specialist example responsibilities.

Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Transport FEMA trailers and levele foundation using bulldozers and bobcats.
Maintain current credentials and certifications as required such as such as CPR and first aid certifications.
Provide everyday living activity for autistic individuals, pass medicine, dress patients, help with communication, and restrain patients.
Retain proper certifications for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, first aid, driver's license and insurance.

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.

Youth care specialist vs certified medical technician skills

Common youth care specialist skills

Customer Service, 18%
Patients, 13%
CPR, 6%
Direct Care, 6%
Social Work, 5%
Cleanliness, 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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Youth Care Specialist
Youth Care Specialist vs Certified Medical Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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