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The differences between assistant laboratory technicians and lead laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an assistant laboratory technician and a lead laboratory technician. Additionally, a lead laboratory technician has an average salary of $54,230, 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 lead laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Lead Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,556 | $54,230 |
| Hourly rate | $17.09 | $26.07 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 116,488 | 77,096 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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 Lead Laboratory Technician coordinates the operations of a laboratory. They supervise the preparation of specimens for tests, collection of blood, examination of blood samples, and other duties performed by the technician team.
Assistant laboratory technicians and lead laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Lead Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,556 | $54,230 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $57,000 | Between $33,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Manchester, NH | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Patterson-UTI Energy | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an assistant laboratory technician and a lead laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Lead Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | New York University |
Here are the differences between assistant laboratory technicians' and lead laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Lead Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% | Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8% |
| 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, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |