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The differences between youth 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 specialist and a certified medical technician. Additionally, a certified medical technician has an average salary of $38,859, which is higher than the $35,180 average annual salary of a youth specialist.
The top three skills for a youth specialist include crisis intervention, direct care and mental health. The most important skills for a certified medical technician are patients, vital signs, and CPR.
| Youth Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,180 | $38,859 |
| Hourly rate | $16.91 | $18.68 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 71,303 | 164,424 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A youth specialist's role is to oversee the safety and welfare of children and young adults, ensuring that they get the necessary support and guidance. Their responsibilities include performing initial assessments and interviews to identify needs, conducting home inspections and evaluations, providing essential advice, and spearheading programs and projects that cater to the disadvantaged youth. Furthermore, there are instances when a youth specialist may execute interventions or refer families to other services. Should there be any signs of neglect or abuse, it is essential to coordinate with the authorities right away.
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 specialists and certified medical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Youth Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,180 | $38,859 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $45,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Denton, TX |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Outside In | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a youth specialist and a certified medical technician in terms of educational background:
| Youth Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 28% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Nursing |
| Most common college | SUNY at Binghamton | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between youth specialists' and certified medical technicians' demographics:
| Youth Specialist | Certified Medical Technician | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.3% Female, 57.7% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | 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 | 11% | 8% |