Environmental sampling technician vs laboratory analyst

The differences between environmental sampling 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 sampling technician and a laboratory analyst. Additionally, a laboratory analyst has an average salary of $44,024, which is higher than the $33,940 average annual salary of an environmental sampling technician.

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

Environmental sampling technician vs laboratory analyst overview

	Environmental Sampling Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Yearly salary	$33,940	$44,024
Hourly rate	$16.32	$21.17
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	25,081	44,074
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Environmental sampling technician vs laboratory analyst salary

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

	Environmental Sampling Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Average salary	$33,940	$44,024
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $43,000	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 sampling technician and laboratory analyst education

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

	Environmental Sampling Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	Stanford University

Environmental sampling technician vs laboratory analyst demographics

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

	Environmental Sampling Technician	Laboratory Analyst
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%	Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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 sampling technician and laboratory analyst duties and responsibilities

Environmental sampling technician example responsibilities.

Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
Verify manufacturing areas before an audit of FDA / ISO.
Mitigate release of hazardous waste to environment using proper equipment and PPE.
Apply 40 CFR guidelines to ensure compliance of hazardous waste treatment and storage.
Work with customers to solve EMC problems to pass FCC and EU standards.
Enter sample tests from COC into system.

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 sampling technician vs laboratory analyst skills

Common environmental sampling technician skills

Data Entry, 23%
Lims, 21%
Process Samples, 16%
Sample Collection, 6%
Test Code, 6%
DOT, 5%

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 Sampling Technician
Environmental Sampling Technician vs Laboratory Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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