Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory director

The differences between clinical laboratory managers and laboratory directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a clinical laboratory manager and a laboratory director. Additionally, a laboratory director has an average salary of $92,971, which is higher than the $79,359 average annual salary of a clinical laboratory manager.

The top three skills for a clinical laboratory manager include CLIA, patients and test results. The most important skills for a laboratory director are clinical laboratory, patients, and patient care.

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory director overview

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Director
Yearly salary	$79,359	$92,971
Hourly rate	$38.15	$44.70
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	96,325	59,500
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a clinical laboratory manager do?

A clinical laboratory manager supervises the work of laboratory technicians and scientists. Clinical laboratory managers develop safety policies of laboratories in line with the international accreditation standards. They oversee administrative and budgetary responsibilities. It is their responsibility to purchase laboratory supplies or prepare ordering lists. They ensure that the employees follow the standards and regulations set by the industry. The managers need to develop include knowledge in solving technical problems, time management, and maintain technical equipment.

What does a laboratory director do?

A Laboratory Director is responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory. They examine data, create reports, manage the staff, and ensure that the lab facility operates in accordance with the regulatory provisions of the government and the organization.

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory director salary

Clinical laboratory managers and laboratory directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Director
Average salary	$79,359	$92,971
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $114,000	Between $55,000 And $156,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Delaware
Best paying company	Agilent Technologies	Reed Smith
Best paying industry	Health Care	Media

Differences between clinical laboratory manager and laboratory director education

There are a few differences between a clinical laboratory manager and a laboratory director in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Biology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory director demographics

Here are the differences between clinical laboratory managers' and laboratory directors' demographics:

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%	Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 7.8% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.1% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between clinical laboratory manager and laboratory director duties and responsibilities

Clinical laboratory manager example responsibilities.

Lead and guide in developing quality improvement programs to continue delivering high quality services to physician and patients.
Set up forensic DNA laboratory, train laboratory technicians in advance molecular techniques, and manage day-to-day activities of forensic DNA laboratory
Maintain LIS software updates for CPT procedure codes and ICD-9 coding.
Integrate an LIS system into the laboratory environment.
Facilitate testing of clinical trial samples in the CLIA lab for test waiting FDA clearance.
Set up auto-calculations for calculate results) and a patient means program as an additional QC.

Laboratory director example responsibilities.

Perform and manage quality control, maintenance and calibration of all equipment in hematology, coagulation and urinalysis.
Set up forensic DNA laboratory, train laboratory technicians in advance molecular techniques, and manage day-to-day activities of forensic DNA laboratory
Consult patients on various laboratory procedures involve in IVF.
Supervise 8 managers and 130 full-time employees (FTEs).
Focus on sterility, endotoxin, water and bioburden testing.
Restore compliance integrity of lab back to full capacity in time for JCAHO inspection.

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory director skills

Common clinical laboratory manager skills

CLIA, 10%
Patients, 9%
Test Results, 8%
Hematology, 7%
Microbiology, 7%
Customer Service, 6%

Common laboratory director skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Patients, 10%
Patient Care, 9%
CLIA, 6%
Test Results, 6%
Laboratory Services, 4%

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Clinical Laboratory Manager
Clinical Laboratory Manager vs Laboratory Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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