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The differences between assistant laboratory technicians and service 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 service technician. Additionally, a service technician has an average salary of $40,379, 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 service technician are plumbing, customer service, and preventative maintenance.
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,556 | $40,379 |
| Hourly rate | $17.09 | $19.41 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 116,488 | 254,533 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Associate Degree, 29% |
| 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.
Service technicians are assigned in the field to address the concerns of their clients. Service technicians are responsible for the installation, maintenance, or repair of different units or items related to their company's products or services. They should be familiar with their company's products so that they can properly install, maintain, or repair them. They conduct diagnostics and analysis to assess the condition of the unit they are servicing and properly address problems. They also do routine maintenance check-ups. Service technicians are expected to be trustworthy, have good analytical skills, and have good decision-making skills.
Assistant laboratory technicians and service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,556 | $40,379 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $57,000 | Between $28,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Manchester, NH | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Patterson-UTI Energy | IBM |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an assistant laboratory technician and a service technician in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Associate Degree, 29% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | - |
Here are the differences between assistant laboratory technicians' and service technicians' demographics:
| Assistant Laboratory Technician | Service Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| 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, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 1% |