Biotechnologist vs research laboratory technician

The differences between biotechnologists and research laboratory 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 biotechnologist and a research laboratory technician. Additionally, a biotechnologist has an average salary of $54,160, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a biotechnologist include R, GMP and DNA. The most important skills for a research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.

Biotechnologist vs research laboratory technician overview

	Biotechnologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$54,160	$38,308
Hourly rate	$26.04	$18.42
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	10,862	86,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Biotechnologist vs research laboratory technician salary

Biotechnologists and research laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Biotechnologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$54,160	$38,308
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $80,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Silver Spring, MD	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Illinois
Best paying company	AbbVie	Accenture
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between biotechnologist and research laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a biotechnologist and a research laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Biotechnologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Johns Hopkins University	Cornell University

Biotechnologist vs research laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between biotechnologists' and research laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Biotechnologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9%	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 13.5% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between biotechnologist and research laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Biotechnologist example responsibilities.

Manage laboratories and perform clinical research in diabetic and thyroid disease states.
Perform standard PCR assays for research group.
Purify enzymes using gravity, low pressure liquid chromatography, and AKTA FPLC.
Participate in semi-annual proficiency testing for forensic casework (CTS) and proficiency testing for engraftment monitoring (ASHI).
Quantify the final product form using solvent extraction and normal phase HPLC.
Maintain documentation and batch records in accordance with ISO and CE-IVD regulations.

Research laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage RT-PCR screening of candidate genes.
Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Use many scientific techniques to collect and analyze RNA, DNA, and specific proteins from lines of potato plants.
Preform computational molecular simulation of DNA and RNA.
Retain patients from previous research projects and update database using patient histories and correlating pertinent medical data.
Work with non human primates in an HIV testing laboratory.

Biotechnologist vs research laboratory technician skills

Common biotechnologist skills

R, 23%
GMP, 13%
DNA, 13%
PCR, 12%
Assays, 10%
Extraction, 10%

Common research laboratory technician skills

Patients, 9%
Chemistry, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 7%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Data, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Biotechnologist
Biotechnologist vs Research Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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