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The differences between assistant laboratory managers and medical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an assistant laboratory manager, becoming a medical director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $51,817 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory manager.
The top three skills for an assistant laboratory manager include lab equipment, test results and chemistry. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.
| Assistant Laboratory Manager | Medical Director | |
| Yearly salary | $51,817 | $230,317 |
| Hourly rate | $24.91 | $110.73 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 39,463 | 75,810 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
An assistant laboratory manager performs support tasks to assist the laboratory manager in overseeing laboratory projects and operations. Their job entails working together with the laboratory manager in developing and implementing strategies to optimize operations, managing budgets, setting objectives and guidelines, delegating responsibilities among teams, and solving issues and concerns. There are also times when an assistant laboratory manager must train new members of the workforce, liaise and build positive relationships with external parties, purchase equipment, and run errands when necessary.
A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.
Assistant laboratory managers and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Laboratory Manager | Medical Director | |
| Average salary | $51,817 | $230,317 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $89,000 | Between $143,000 And $369,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Intertek | UnitedHealth Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Insurance |
There are a few differences between an assistant laboratory manager and a medical director in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Laboratory Manager | Medical Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between assistant laboratory managers' and medical directors' demographics:
| Assistant Laboratory Manager | Medical Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% | Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 12% |