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Bio medical technician vs clinical laboratory assistant

The differences between bio medical technicians and clinical laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a bio medical technician and a clinical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a bio medical technician has an average salary of $60,490, which is higher than the $32,679 average annual salary of a clinical laboratory assistant.

The top three skills for a bio medical technician include patients, OSHA and hand tools. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and clinical lab.

Bio medical technician vs clinical laboratory assistant overview

BIO Medical TechnicianClinical Laboratory Assistant
Yearly salary$60,490$32,679
Hourly rate$29.08$15.71
Growth rate17%10%
Number of jobs108,555108,124
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4444
Years of experience1212

What does a bio medical technician do?

A biomedical technician is responsible for installing, repairing, and maintaining biomedical equipment. Your day-to-day duties include testing and calibrating parts, performing preventative maintenance on medical equipment to ensure patients receive high-quality service and treatment, and directing the operation of biomedical equipment. As a biomedical technician, it is your responsibility to keep this equipment in good condition by performing tests and following best practices for preventative maintenance. You are also responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment.

What does a clinical laboratory assistant do?

A clinical laboratory assistant specializes in performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar setting using their in-depth knowledge. They are primarily responsible for assisting researchers, preparing samples and apparatus, conducting experiments and analysis, maintaining extensive documentation of all processes and results, and reporting to management. Moreover, a clinical laboratory assistant is also responsible for gathering necessary information before beginning studies and maintaining the laboratory's cleanliness and sanitation. It is vital to implement all the safety rules and regulations to ensure a safe and productive work environment.

Bio medical technician vs clinical laboratory assistant salary

Bio medical technicians and clinical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

BIO Medical TechnicianClinical Laboratory Assistant
Average salary$60,490$32,679
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $91,000Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City-Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Roswell Park
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between bio medical technician and clinical laboratory assistant education

There are a few differences between a bio medical technician and a clinical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:

BIO Medical TechnicianClinical Laboratory Assistant
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringBiology
Most common collegePurdue UniversityNew York University

Bio medical technician vs clinical laboratory assistant demographics

Here are the differences between bio medical technicians' and clinical laboratory assistants' demographics:

BIO Medical TechnicianClinical Laboratory Assistant
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 76.5% Female, 23.5%Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.1% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between bio medical technician and clinical laboratory assistant duties and responsibilities

Bio medical technician example responsibilities.

  • Perform all biomedical technician functions to troubleshoot, repair and manage hospital equipment.
  • Maintain, troubleshoot and repair various laboratory equipment: sterilizers, centrifuges, microscopes, etc.
  • Collect water samples for AAMI analysis according to company, state, and federal regulations and document as appropriate.
  • Repair and troubleshooting of KCI and customer own products in adherence to strict OSHA, FDA, and ISO guidelines.
  • Train new employees and students on PACS.
  • Assist with implementation of PACS.
  • Show more

Clinical laboratory assistant example responsibilities.

  • Achieve PHLEBOTOMY duties utilizing proper infection control techniques and perform a variety of laboratory tests.
  • Process specimen, recollect and deliver to chemistry, microbiology, molecular or hematology departments for testing.
  • Receive specimens for microbiology, histology, cytology, anatomic pathology and hematology tests/procedures, checks for proper identification and requisition.
  • Operate EKG and other equipment to administer routine diagnostic tests.
  • Transfer of samples from racks to centrifuges and decant station.
  • Administer EKG's, clean wounds, draw labs, and apply dressings.
  • Show more

Bio medical technician vs clinical laboratory assistant skills

Common bio medical technician skills
  • Patients, 17%
  • OSHA, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Clinical Equipment, 5%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 5%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
Common clinical laboratory assistant skills
  • Patients, 17%
  • Phlebotomy, 14%
  • Clinical Lab, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Specimen Collection, 4%
  • Patient Care, 4%

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