Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory analyst

The differences between environmental laboratory 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 an environmental laboratory technician and a laboratory analyst. Additionally, a laboratory analyst has an average salary of $44,024, which is higher than the $40,682 average annual salary of an environmental laboratory technician.

The top three skills for an environmental laboratory technician include lab equipment, water samples and sops. The most important skills for a laboratory analyst are test methods, lab equipment, and lims.

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory analyst overview

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Yearly salary	$40,682	$44,024
Hourly rate	$19.56	$21.17
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	58,055	44,074
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does an environmental laboratory technician do?

Environmental laboratory technicians are professionals who are responsible for testing all contaminants that may affect the environment and the health of both humans and wildlife. These technicians are required to prepare and test samples such as gases, soils, water, and industrial wastewater to determine the level of pollutants or identify the sources of contamination. They must discuss and report the summary of the data from test results with supervisors and customers. Environmental laboratory technicians must also design monitoring programs and set up equipment when working in the field.

What does a laboratory analyst do?

A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory analyst salary

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Average salary	$40,682	$44,024
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	AbbVie
Best paying industry	-	Pharmaceutical

Differences between environmental laboratory technician and laboratory analyst education

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	Stanford University

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory analyst demographics

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%	Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.3% 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 environmental laboratory technician and laboratory analyst duties and responsibilities

Environmental laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
Support short and long term projects meeting establish deadlines such as the upcoming revisions to the USP heavy metals testing.
Initiate and maintain paperwork in accordance with FDA guidelines and perform investigations for any deviant results.
Perform internal audits of laboratories in accordance with current standard operating procedure of good laboratory practices and FDA regulations.
Assist HAZWOPER technicians with logistical support for operations on project operations including research of facilities and vendors need for project completion.
Monitor temperature and pressure of production distillation towers

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.

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory analyst skills

Common environmental laboratory technician skills

Lab Equipment, 9%
Water Samples, 8%
Sops, 6%
Environmental Samples, 6%
Test Equipment, 5%
Environmental Lab, 4%

Common laboratory analyst skills

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

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Environmental Laboratory Technician
Environmental Laboratory Technician vs Laboratory Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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