Decontamination technician vs laboratory analyst

The differences between decontamination technicians and laboratory analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a decontamination technician and a laboratory analyst. Additionally, a decontamination technician has an average salary of $44,291, which is higher than the $44,024 average annual salary of a laboratory analyst.

The top three skills for a decontamination technician include papr, safety procedures and PPE. The most important skills for a laboratory analyst are test methods, lab equipment, and lims.

Decontamination technician vs laboratory analyst overview

	Decontamination Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Yearly salary	$44,291	$44,024
Hourly rate	$21.29	$21.17
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	28,108	44,074
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Decontamination technician vs laboratory analyst salary

Decontamination technicians and laboratory analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Decontamination Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Average salary	$44,291	$44,024
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $69,000	Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Newton, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Battelle	AbbVie
Best paying industry	Energy	Pharmaceutical

Differences between decontamination technician and laboratory analyst education

There are a few differences between a decontamination technician and a laboratory analyst in terms of educational background:

	Decontamination Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Business	Biology
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Decontamination technician vs laboratory analyst demographics

Here are the differences between decontamination technicians' and laboratory analysts' demographics:

	Decontamination Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4%	Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between decontamination technician and laboratory analyst duties and responsibilities

Decontamination technician example responsibilities.

Concrete crushing, demolition, and wrecking of commercial buildings, apartments, and homes.
Assign with ALARA for lead shielding projects.
Monitor NRC license compliance and support inspections.
Set up ladders, scaffolds and hoists.
Perform decontamination of a sand blast booth using a HEPA vacuum cleaner.
Design, maintain, install, and replace rectifiers and grind beds.

Laboratory analyst example responsibilities.

Use sophisticate laboratory instrumentation (HPLC, FTIR, UV, GC) and computer systems to collect and record data.
Analyze organic compounds using gravimetric, titration, distillation and spectrophotometry methods.
Prepare for and represent the laboratory during FDA, customer, and ISO audits.
Complete preparation of organic samples for GC, HPLC, IR and GCMS analysis.
Prepare solid and aqueous samples for analysis on diagnostic instruments including GC, GCMS and IC.
Utilize internal LIMS computer database for data entry and communication.

Decontamination technician vs laboratory analyst skills

Common decontamination technician skills

Papr, 14%
Safety Procedures, 13%
PPE, 12%
Hazardous Materials, 10%
Radioactive Waste, 7%
Hazardous Waste, 6%

Common laboratory analyst skills

Test Methods, 8%
Lab Equipment, 7%
Lims, 5%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%
Sample Preparation, 5%
Analytical Methods, 4%

Decontamination Technician vs. similar jobs

Decontamination Technician related careers

Decontamination Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Decontamination Technician
Decontamination Technician vs Laboratory Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs