Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between fiber technologists and laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fiber technologist has an average salary of $51,824, which is higher than the $40,038 average annual salary of a laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a fiber technologist include OTDR, OSP and fiber optic cables. The most important skills for a laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.
| Fiber Technologist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,824 | $40,038 |
| Hourly rate | $24.92 | $19.25 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 128,496 | 84,357 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
Fiber Technologists are responsible for the installation, repair, and maintenance of fiber optic cables. Their duties include organizing maintenance schedules, conducting fiber optic system installation, replacing old fiber optics cables, troubleshoot fiber optic issues, and manage fiber splicing. They are responsible for undertaking fiber optic inspection, creating sensor indicators, fulfilling cable requirements, and implementing cabling for premises. Fiber Technologists also manage system records as well as track devices' signal strengths.
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.
Fiber technologists and laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fiber Technologist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,824 | $40,038 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $74,000 | Between $27,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rocklin, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Tenaska |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a fiber technologist and a laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Fiber Technologist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Biology |
| Most common college | - | New York University |
Here are the differences between fiber technologists' and laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Fiber Technologist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 4.0% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 4% | 8% |