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The differences between biology laboratory assistants and research technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a biology laboratory assistant and a research technician. Additionally, a research technician has an average salary of $43,034, which is higher than the $34,240 average annual salary of a biology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a biology laboratory assistant include lab equipment, biology laboratory and chemistry. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $34,240 | $43,034 |
| Hourly rate | $16.46 | $20.69 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 48,958 | 64,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.
Biology laboratory assistants and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Average salary | $34,240 | $43,034 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $52,000 | Between $31,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bridgewater, MA | Pasadena, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Massachusetts General Hospital | GCP Applied Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a biology laboratory assistant and a research technician in terms of educational background:
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between biology laboratory assistants' and research technicians' demographics:
| Biology Laboratory Assistant | Research Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |