Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory supervisor

The differences between clinical laboratory managers and laboratory supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a clinical laboratory manager, becoming a laboratory supervisor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a clinical laboratory manager has an average salary of $79,359, which is higher than the $67,361 average annual salary of a laboratory supervisor.

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

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory supervisor overview

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Supervisor
Yearly salary	$79,359	$67,361
Hourly rate	$38.15	$32.39
Growth rate	28%	3%
Number of jobs	96,325	49,957
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	47	44
Years of experience	6	12

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 supervisor do?

The primary job of laboratory supervisors is to oversee the daily operations of laboratories. They are responsible for facilitating the collection, analysis, and interpretation of laboratory results. Other responsibilities include supervising personnel, managing the operating budget of the laboratory, and hiring employees. Laboratory supervisors are responsible for overseeing quality assurance and enforcing practices to ensure quality control within the laboratory. Aside from these tasks, they also manage the acquisition of laboratory equipment and supplies and resolve any technical or administrative issues within the laboratory.

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory supervisor salary

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

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Supervisor
Average salary	$79,359	$67,361
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $114,000	Between $47,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Agilent Technologies	Chevron
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between clinical laboratory manager and laboratory supervisor education

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

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Biology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Northwestern University

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory supervisor demographics

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

	Clinical Laboratory Manager	Laboratory Supervisor
Average age	47	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5%	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
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, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	12%	8%

Differences between clinical laboratory manager and laboratory supervisor 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 supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage personnel within the team, and provide guidance relating to laboratory EMR to performance improvement projects
Handle administrative and IRB tasks, manage fiscal matters, maintain record system of participant data.
Manage all static data, generate reports, run queries and support laboratories with technical knowledge and advice.
Manage pneumatic resistance rehabilitation lab.
Manage and maintain various automate laboratory equipment though GMP safe practices.
Assist with implementation of new procedures as laboratory works to achieving ISO certification.

Clinical laboratory manager vs laboratory supervisor skills

Common clinical laboratory manager skills

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

Common laboratory supervisor skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Patients, 10%
Chemistry, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Lab Equipment, 5%
Test Results, 5%

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Clinical Laboratory Manager
Clinical Laboratory Manager vs Laboratory Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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