Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory technician

The differences between environmental laboratory technicians and laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an environmental laboratory technician, becoming a laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an environmental laboratory technician has an average salary of $40,682, which is higher than the $40,038 average annual salary of a 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 technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory technician overview

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$40,682	$40,038
Hourly rate	$19.56	$19.25
Growth rate	9%	4%
Number of jobs	58,055	84,357
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	2	12

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 technician do?

Laboratory technicians are medical professionals who work in the laboratory. They are responsible for the equipment in the laboratory, making sure tools are properly sanitized and sterilized after every use. They also ensure that laboratory equipment works well. Laboratory technicians may also be responsible for collecting and testing samples from patients. They prepare solutions and other chemicals that may be needed for testing. They also provide an analysis of the samples that they tested. Laboratory technicians ensure that all items in the laboratory are properly labeled and organized.

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory technician salary

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$40,682	$40,038
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $27,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Tenaska
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between environmental laboratory technician and laboratory technician education

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	New York University

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory technician demographics

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Technician
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%	Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between environmental laboratory technician and laboratory technician 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 technician example responsibilities.

Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Analyze and paid attention to detail as well as demonstrated excellent organization skills, manual dexterity and good eyesight.
Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate with EKG equipment and notify physician is something appears to be wrong.
Monitor several color formulations being manufacture in the production department to ensure manufacturing procedures are follow per ISO and GMP.
Perform age appropriate phlebotomy while working with critically or terminally ill patients, with careful respect for individual and/or cultural concerns.

Environmental laboratory technician vs laboratory technician 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 technician skills

Patients, 17%
Lab Equipment, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Basic Math, 4%
Test Results, 4%
Math, 4%

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Environmental Laboratory Technician
Environmental Laboratory Technician vs Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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