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The differences between assistant laboratory technicians and junior technicians 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 technician, becoming a junior technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a junior technician has an average salary of $39,417, which is higher than the $35,556 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory technician.
The top three skills for an assistant laboratory technician include patients, ladders and computer lab. The most important skills for a junior technician are customer service, HVAC, and fall protection.
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,556 | $39,417 |
| Hourly rate | $17.09 | $18.95 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 116,488 | 103,780 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.
A junior technician is responsible for supporting senior technicians on maintaining the efficiency and optimal performance of various hardware and software systems and applications. Junior technicians assist the end-users and employees on troubleshooting inconsistent programs, identifying its complexities, and reporting findings to the management for resolution. They also update the systems' features to increase its operational productivity and maintain system recoveries. A junior technician must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command on programming language and system codes, especially on conducting system analysis and installing applications.
Assistant laboratory technicians and junior technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,556 | $39,417 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $57,000 | Between $26,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Manchester, NH | Alexandria, VA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Patterson-UTI Energy | Citi |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assistant laboratory technician and a junior technician in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between assistant laboratory technicians' and junior technicians' demographics:
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Junior Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |