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Cytology laboratory technician vs clinical technician

The differences between cytology laboratory technicians and clinical 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 cytology laboratory technician and a clinical technician. Additionally, a cytology laboratory technician has an average salary of $46,680, which is higher than the $35,760 average annual salary of a clinical technician.

The top three skills for a cytology laboratory technician include clinical laboratory, laboratory equipment and routine maintenance. The most important skills for a clinical technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.

Cytology laboratory technician vs clinical technician overview

Cytology Laboratory TechnicianClinical Technician
Yearly salary$46,680$35,760
Hourly rate$22.44$17.19
Growth rate-9%
Number of jobs41,901161,812
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age4444
Years of experience1212

Cytology laboratory technician vs clinical technician salary

Cytology laboratory technicians and clinical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Cytology Laboratory TechnicianClinical Technician
Average salary$46,680$35,760
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $78,000Between $26,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Brigham and Women's Hospital
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between cytology laboratory technician and clinical technician education

There are a few differences between a cytology laboratory technician and a clinical technician in terms of educational background:

Cytology Laboratory TechnicianClinical Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common majorBiologyNursing
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Connecticut

Cytology laboratory technician vs clinical technician demographics

Here are the differences between cytology laboratory technicians' and clinical technicians' demographics:

Cytology Laboratory TechnicianClinical Technician
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 33.3% Female, 66.7%Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between cytology laboratory technician and clinical technician duties and responsibilities

Cytology laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
  • Maintain and operate laboratory equipment and commendably troubleshoot and resolve an assortment of laboratory testing analyzers and perform diverse chemical tests.
  • Read experimental protocols and perform experiments following directions (including tissue collection, molecular biology, gel electrophoresis, etc . )

Clinical technician example responsibilities.

  • Prepare QC and QA samples for validity testing.
  • Resolve issues from level 1 EMR support as well as EMR issues transfer from other departments.
  • Recognize life threatening situations and activate the emergency response system while assisting with CPR and code cart.
  • Report and document description of patient care information in EMR in accordance with hospital policy and procedure.
  • Participate in reviews and QC of external central laboratory contracts, sample kits and manuals and ensure accuracy.
  • Assist in advance and basic life support techniques, perform EKG's, blood withdrawal, and computer order entry.
  • Show more

Cytology laboratory technician vs clinical technician skills

Common cytology laboratory technician skills
  • Clinical Laboratory, 36%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 17%
  • Routine Maintenance, 14%
  • Non-Gynecological, 13%
  • FNA, 10%
  • Equipment Maintenance, 9%
Common clinical technician skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Vital Signs, 8%
  • Phlebotomy, 7%
  • Direct Patient Care, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • EKG, 4%

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