Environmental laboratory technician vs microbiologist

The differences between environmental laboratory technicians and microbiologists 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 microbiologist. Additionally, a microbiologist has an average salary of $54,620, 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 microbiologist are lab equipment, microbiology lab, and environmental monitoring.

Environmental laboratory technician vs microbiologist overview

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Microbiologist
Yearly salary	$40,682	$54,620
Hourly rate	$19.56	$26.26
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	58,055	11,444
Job satisfaction	-	3.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	38	40
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 microbiologist do?

Microbiologists are responsible for studying the microscopic organisms causing infections and environmental damage, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Their work focuses on the identification and growth of these microbes to better understand their characteristics that may help in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious and bacterial diseases. They use sophisticated technologies and machinery to study microbes and perform their tasks. These scientists are also responsible for developing best practices and techniques for routine sampling and research. Microbiologists may work in various settings, including laboratories, research institutes, and hospitals.

Environmental laboratory technician vs microbiologist salary

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Microbiologist
Average salary	$40,682	$54,620
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $56,000	Between $39,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Battelle
Best paying industry	-	Pharmaceutical

Differences between environmental laboratory technician and microbiologist education

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Microbiologist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	Stanford University

Environmental laboratory technician vs microbiologist demographics

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

	Environmental Laboratory Technician	Microbiologist
Average age	38	40
Gender ratio	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%	Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8%
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, 2.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 13.6% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	10%

Differences between environmental laboratory technician and microbiologist 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

Microbiologist example responsibilities.

Establish a DNA fingerprinting lab to aid in bacterial food borne disease investigations and manage it for ten years.
Manage external contract labs for GLP testing, prepare documentation for regulatory approval.
Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
Perform biochemical tests for the detection of communicable disease agents including tuberculosis, HIV, and other sexually transmit diseases.
Receive and log samples in LIMS as well as compiled work batches, QC sheets and data reports.
Utilize various real time PCR and DNA extraction technologies to identify and characterize various biological agents and infectious diseases.

Environmental laboratory technician vs microbiologist skills

Common environmental laboratory technician skills

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

Common microbiologist skills

Lab Equipment, 9%
Microbiology Lab, 7%
Environmental Monitoring, 7%
Test Methods, 6%
GMP, 5%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%

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Environmental Laboratory Technician
Environmental Laboratory Technician vs Microbiologist

Updated January 8, 2025

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