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Calibration laboratory technician vs instrument technician

The differences between calibration laboratory technicians and instrument 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 calibration laboratory technician and an instrument technician. Additionally, an instrument technician has an average salary of $56,918, which is higher than the $36,454 average annual salary of a calibration laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a calibration laboratory technician include calibration procedures, RF and calipers. The most important skills for an instrument technician are patients, surgical instruments, and cleanliness.

Calibration laboratory technician vs instrument technician overview

Calibration Laboratory TechnicianInstrument Technician
Yearly salary$36,454$56,918
Hourly rate$17.53$27.36
Growth rate--
Number of jobs45,78345,965
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 54%Associate Degree, 48%
Average age5050
Years of experience1212

Calibration laboratory technician vs instrument technician salary

Calibration laboratory technicians and instrument technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Calibration Laboratory TechnicianInstrument Technician
Average salary$36,454$56,918
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $53,000Between $38,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City-Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Phillips 66
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between calibration laboratory technician and instrument technician education

There are a few differences between a calibration laboratory technician and an instrument technician in terms of educational background:

Calibration Laboratory TechnicianInstrument Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 54%Associate Degree, 48%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityNortheastern University

Calibration laboratory technician vs instrument technician demographics

Here are the differences between calibration laboratory technicians' and instrument technicians' demographics:

Calibration Laboratory TechnicianInstrument Technician
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 82.6% Female, 17.4%Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between calibration laboratory technician and instrument technician duties and responsibilities

Calibration laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
  • Instruct and advise in any matter concerning electronic or physical dimensional item use, repair and metrology.
  • Calibrate and repair hand tools by NIST standards.
  • Measure parts to within specifications, using micrometers and other precision instruments.
  • Execute and analyze tests in areas including chemistry, hematology and urinalysis to aid physicians in diagnosing and treating disease.
  • Perform routine specimen processing, analysis and resulting of hematology, microbiology, chemistry, urinalysis, serology and blood samples.

Instrument technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead the planning and coordination of QC instrumentation and software qualification to be compliant with best practices.
  • Lead a team of 10 engineers to develop an infrare telescope that are launched on the NASA high-altitude balloonproject BRRISON/BOPPS.
  • Accomplish team sales of 464K in clinical chemistry and hematology instrumentation.
  • Adhere to safe work practices including lock out/tag out, OSHA regulations, NFPA, and NEC code regulations.
  • Clean and sterilize various surgical instruments for multiple surgery cases.
  • Skil in the installation, maintenance, electrical devices from 24 volt DC to 4160 VAC.
  • Show more

Calibration laboratory technician vs instrument technician skills

Common calibration laboratory technician skills
  • Calibration Procedures, 12%
  • RF, 10%
  • Calipers, 8%
  • Metrology, 8%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 7%
  • Micrometers, 7%
Common instrument technician skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Surgical Instruments, 8%
  • Cleanliness, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Control Systems, 5%
  • PLC, 4%

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