Cytology laboratory technician vs medical laboratory technician

The differences between cytology laboratory technicians and medical laboratory 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 medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $46,680 average annual salary of a cytology laboratory technician.

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

Cytology laboratory technician vs medical laboratory technician overview

	Cytology Laboratory Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$46,680	$51,780
Hourly rate	$22.44	$24.89
Growth rate	-	16%
Number of jobs	41,901	88,721
Job satisfaction	-	3.33
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

Cytology laboratory technician vs medical laboratory technician salary

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

	Cytology Laboratory Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$46,680	$51,780
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $78,000	Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between cytology laboratory technician and medical laboratory technician education

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

	Cytology Laboratory Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Associate Degree, 55%
Most common major	Biology	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Maryland - College Park

Cytology laboratory technician vs medical laboratory technician demographics

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

	Cytology Laboratory Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%
Race ratio	Black 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between cytology laboratory technician and medical laboratory 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 . )

Medical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
Accomplish constant multitasking between phlebotomy, reception and lab on a daily basis while providing outstanding customer communication skills.
Conduct clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and specimen analysis in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, serology and immunology.
Experience in the areas of chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, coagulation and microbiology specimen preparation.
Serve as rotational general laboratory technician in urinalysis, serology, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, and shipping.
Pass and receive ASCP MLT certification upon graduation.

Cytology laboratory technician vs medical laboratory 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 medical laboratory technician skills

Medical Laboratory, 10%
Patients, 10%
ASCP, 9%
Clinical Laboratory, 8%
MLT, 6%
Patient Care, 4%

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Cytology Laboratory Technician
Cytology Laboratory Technician vs Medical Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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