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Bio medical technician vs medical laboratory technician

The differences between bio medical technicians and medical 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 a bio medical technician and a medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a bio medical technician has an average salary of $60,490, which is higher than the $51,780 average annual salary of a medical laboratory technician.

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

Bio medical technician vs medical laboratory technician overview

BIO Medical TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary$60,490$51,780
Hourly rate$29.08$24.89
Growth rate17%16%
Number of jobs108,55588,721
Job satisfaction-3.33
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Associate Degree, 55%
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 medical laboratory technician do?

A medical laboratory technician is responsible for assisting medical health professionals in conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and provide treatments. Medical laboratory technicians ensure the sanitation of all the tools and equipment before conducting tests. They collect adequate blood samples and specimens, analyze fluid elements, utilize laboratory equipment safely, create reports of findings, and alert medical personnel and medical technologists of emergency conditions. A medical laboratory technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry disciplines and processes to perform sensitive tasks and release accurate medical results.

Bio medical technician vs medical laboratory technician salary

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

BIO Medical TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Average salary$60,490$51,780
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $91,000Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City-Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between bio medical technician and medical laboratory technician education

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

BIO Medical TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 46%Associate Degree, 55%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringClinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Most common collegePurdue UniversityUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Bio medical technician vs medical laboratory technician demographics

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

BIO Medical TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 76.5% Female, 23.5%Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%
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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between bio medical technician and medical laboratory technician 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

Medical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
  • Accomplish constant multitasking between phlebotomy, reception and lab on a daily basis while providing outstanding customer communication skills.
  • Conduct clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and specimen analysis in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, serology and immunology.
  • Experience in the areas of chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, coagulation and microbiology specimen preparation.
  • Serve as rotational general laboratory technician in urinalysis, serology, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, and shipping.
  • Pass and receive ASCP MLT certification upon graduation.
  • Show more

Bio medical technician vs medical laboratory technician skills

Common bio medical technician skills
  • Patients, 17%
  • OSHA, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Clinical Equipment, 5%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 5%
  • Test Equipment, 5%
Common medical laboratory technician skills
  • Medical Laboratory, 10%
  • Patients, 10%
  • ASCP, 9%
  • Clinical Laboratory, 8%
  • MLT, 6%
  • Patient Care, 4%

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