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The differences between asbestos microscopists and biology laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an asbestos microscopist, becoming a biology laboratory assistant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an asbestos microscopist has an average salary of $57,182, which is higher than the $34,240 average annual salary of a biology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for an asbestos microscopist include PLM, TEM and electron microscope. The most important skills for a biology laboratory assistant are lab equipment, biology laboratory, and chemistry.
| Asbestos Microscopist | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $57,182 | $34,240 |
| Hourly rate | $27.49 | $16.46 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 249 | 48,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Asbestos microscopists prepare and analyze materials for asbestos fibers. These professionals complete material analyses correctly and give updates about the results. They perform data entry precisely and efficiently and maintain and calibrate microscopes to improve their accuracy. Also, Asbestos microscopists attend scheduled training seminars and departmental meetings. Other duties performed by Asbestos microscopists include maintaining professional attendance for scheduled shifts and accurately identifying challenging samples. Moreover, Asbestos microscopists establish and maintain excellent relationships with other staff members.
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Asbestos microscopists and biology laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Asbestos Microscopist | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $57,182 | $34,240 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $98,000 | Between $22,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between an asbestos microscopist and a biology laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Asbestos Microscopist | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Duke University |
Here are the differences between asbestos microscopists' and biology laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Asbestos Microscopist | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 39 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 6% |