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The differences between cell technicians 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 cell technician and a research laboratory technician. Additionally, a cell technician has an average salary of $51,227, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a cell technician include harvest, CIP and cell culture. The most important skills for a research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.
| Cell Technician | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,227 | $38,308 |
| Hourly rate | $24.63 | $18.42 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 18,729 | 86,476 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Cell tower technicians are responsible for maintaining cell phone towers and keeping them in good working condition. They make sure that cell phones are receiving signals all the time without any lag or problem and that customers always have full bars. Their duties include repairing and restoring old materials and equipment, assessing functionality, building, returning, and setting up new towers, as well as consistent servicing and maintenance. Technician applicants are required to have a degree in electronics telecommunications and undergo job and safety training.
Research laboratory technicians play a vital role in scientific laboratories. They perform varied duties and responsibilities, which include setting up, operating, and maintaining the laboratory equipment, assisting in laboratory-based research activities such as sampling, testing, and analyzing results, and providing technical support to the laboratory team members. In addition, they are expected to support the development and advancement of science and modern medicine. Other typical duties of research laboratory technicians include preparing samples and specimens, keeping abreast with current technical developments, and ensuring strict compliance with safety procedures.
Cell technicians and research laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cell Technician | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,227 | $38,308 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $79,000 | Between $30,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | Chicago, IL |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Illinois |
| Best paying company | General Motors | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a cell technician and a research laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Cell Technician | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between cell technicians' and research laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Cell Technician | Research Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7% | Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 52.7% 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% |