The term 'med tech' can refer to medical technologists and medical technicians, two distinct professions with differing educational requirements. Read below to find out the differences between these jobs and the educational requirements for each.
Medical Tech Overview
Medical technologists, also known as clinical laboratory scientists or clinical laboratory technologists, perform very similar duties to medical technicians, also referred to as medical laboratory technicians or clinical laboratory technicians. Both are responsible for a variety of medical laboratory duties, such as running tests on bodily fluids and tissues, administering drug tests, and interpreting the results. The main difference is, as a medical technologist you perform complicated tasks and often supervise the medical technicians who perform the routine tasks. As would be expected, the education requirements for medical technologists are more demanding than those for medical technicians.
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutThisOccupation">Important Facts about this Occupation</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><th> </th><th> Medical Technologists </th><th> Medical Technicians</th></tr>
<tr><td> Common Courses </td><td> Biology, chemistry, English, and mathematics </td><td> Biology, chemistry, clinical experience</td></tr>
<tr><td> Entry-level Education </td><td> Bachelor's degree </td><td> Associate's degree or certificate</td></tr>
<tr><td> Non-classroom Requirements </td><td> Student lab, practicum and clinical experiences </td><td> Clinical training in all lab disciplines, possibly full-time for up to a year</td></tr>
<tr><td> Degrees in Field of Study </td><td> Medical Laboratory Technology </td><td> Life science options</td></tr>
<tr><td> Median Salary (2023)* </td><td> $60,723 (<i>for all medical technologists</i>) </td><td> $57,359 (<i>for all medical technicians</i>)</td></tr>
<tr><td> Job Outlook (2021-2031)**</td><td> 7% growth (<i>for all medical and clinical laboratory technologists</i>) </td><td> 7% growth (<i>for all medical and clinical laboratory technicians</i>)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Sources : *PayScale.com,** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, </i>
</p><h3 id="section---MedicalTechnologists">Medical Technologists</h3><p>A bachelor's degree in medical technology or in a life science is usually the minimum education requirement for medical technologists. The degree that you receive should have extensive science and math coursework, including courses on phlebotomy, microbiology, hematology, in addition to courses dedicated to providing hands-on laboratory training.
</p><p>Some states have medical technologist licensing requirements. To become licensed, you may need to hold a bachelor's degree and pass a licensing examination. Although not required, you may appear more attractive to potential employers if you've been certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology or a similar association.
</p><p>Advancement to managerial or lead technologist positions may be done through gaining work experience and advancing your education through earning a graduate degree in medical technology.
</p><h3 id="section---MedicalTechnicians">Medical Technicians</h3><p>To work as a medical technician, you will likely need associate's degree or certificate in medical technology or a related scientific field. These educational programs mainly consist of biology, chemistry, microbiology, and clinical experiences in real-world hospitals. After graduation, you may be able to transfer some of the credits earned through the associate's degree to an undergraduate program, which can result in being promoted to medical technologist.</p>
