Chemical laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician

The differences between chemical laboratory technicians and lead laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a chemical laboratory technician, becoming a lead laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead laboratory technician has an average salary of $54,230, which is higher than the $41,087 average annual salary of a chemical laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a chemical laboratory technician include lab equipment, routine maintenance and chemical analysis. The most important skills for a lead laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.

Chemical laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician overview

	Chemical Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$41,087	$54,230
Hourly rate	$19.75	$26.07
Growth rate	4%	3%
Number of jobs	47,036	77,096
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	12

What does a chemical laboratory technician do?

A chemical laboratory technician is in charge of performing support tasks for chemists in a laboratory or similar setting. Their duties and responsibilities typically revolve around handling and managing chemicals and laboratory apparatuses, gathering and preparing samples, performing analysis, operating machines and devices, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. They may also procure supplies, organize chemicals, and ensure proper waste disposal. Furthermore, as a chemical laboratory technician, it is essential to maintain the cleanliness and order in laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.

What does a lead laboratory technician do?

A Lead Laboratory Technician coordinates the operations of a laboratory. They supervise the preparation of specimens for tests, collection of blood, examination of blood samples, and other duties performed by the technician team.

Chemical laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician salary

Chemical laboratory technicians and lead laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chemical Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$41,087	$54,230
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $51,000	Between $33,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Albuquerque, NM	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	New Jersey
Best paying company	Basin Electric Power Cooperative	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between chemical laboratory technician and lead laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a chemical laboratory technician and a lead laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Chemical Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Chemistry	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	New York University

Chemical laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between chemical laboratory technicians' and lead laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Chemical Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 60.8% Female, 39.2%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 8.4% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between chemical laboratory technician and lead laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Chemical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily production schedule, monitor machine operation, addressed any etching machinery problems.
Utilize instrumental and titration analysis on various chemical baths to maintain control of processes and insure product quality.
Keep accurate records and report results as per ISO documentation requirements.
Perform test on in-process products using UV and HPLC instruments including cleaning equipment verification tests.
Prepare and analyze samples in compliance with TCEQ, ISO 14001 and 9001, and other regulatory standards
Perform extractions, cold point, and viscosity processes per NIST, ASTM, GMP, and GLP guidelines.

Lead laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments.
Assist with FDA and OSHA audits, coordinate the center for all audits and inspections.
Accession patient information, doctor information, and testing information accurately and promptly into the NovoPath LIS system.
Develop and execute IQ/OQ/PQ at manufacturing site.
Maintain, troubleshoot, verify and calibrate laboratory equipment.

Chemical laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician skills

Common chemical laboratory technician skills

Lab Equipment, 13%
Routine Maintenance, 4%
Chemical Analysis, 4%
Analytical Methods, 4%
Chemical Processes, 4%
Chromatography, 3%

Common lead laboratory technician skills

Patients, 12%
Lab Equipment, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Ongoing Maintenance, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Chemistry, 4%

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Chemical Laboratory Technician
Chemical Laboratory Technician vs Lead Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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