Agricultural research technician vs research laboratory technician

The differences between agricultural research technicians and research laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an agricultural research technician, becoming a research laboratory technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an agricultural research technician has an average salary of $50,476, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research laboratory technician.

The top three skills for an agricultural research technician include greenhouse, harvest and research services. The most important skills for a research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.

Agricultural research technician vs research laboratory technician overview

	Agricultural Research Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$50,476	$38,308
Hourly rate	$24.27	$18.42
Growth rate	6%	9%
Number of jobs	51,522	86,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	43	40
Years of experience	2	4

Agricultural research technician vs research laboratory technician salary

Agricultural research technicians and research laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Agricultural Research Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$50,476	$38,308
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $78,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	-	Illinois
Best paying company	-	Accenture
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between agricultural research technician and research laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between an agricultural research technician and a research laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Agricultural Research Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Plant Sciences	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Agricultural research technician vs research laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between agricultural research technicians' and research laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Agricultural Research Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average age	43	40
Gender ratio	Male, 64.2% Female, 35.8%	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.2% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between agricultural research technician and research laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Agricultural research technician example responsibilities.

Manage growth and cycle planting of grape rootstocks in USDA greenhouses.
Train extensively in institutional, CDC, and USDA mandate safety and security protocols.
Measure plant characteristics, harvest dates, and harvest and thresh these small-seed wild by domestic hybrid F1 seed by hand.
Carry out highly complex pharmaceutical and biotechnology studies while maintaining strong relationships with clients and upholding federal regulations for FDA approval.
Analyze statistical relationships between weather and traffic parameters using SAS and evaluate the quantitative impacts of the weather on traffic congestion.

Research laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage RT-PCR screening of candidate genes.
Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Use many scientific techniques to collect and analyze RNA, DNA, and specific proteins from lines of potato plants.
Preform computational molecular simulation of DNA and RNA.
Retain patients from previous research projects and update database using patient histories and correlating pertinent medical data.
Work with non human primates in an HIV testing laboratory.

Agricultural research technician vs research laboratory technician skills

Common agricultural research technician skills

Greenhouse, 26%
Harvest, 21%
Research Services, 13%
USDA, 10%
Research Projects, 7%
Experimental Data, 5%

Common research laboratory technician skills

Patients, 9%
Chemistry, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 7%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Data, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Agricultural Research Technician
Agricultural Research Technician vs Research Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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