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Histopathology technician vs medical laboratory technician

The differences between histopathology technicians and medical laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a histopathology technician and a medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a histopathology technician has an average salary of $59,825, which is higher than the $51,780 average annual salary of a medical laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a histopathology technician include laboratory equipment, laboratory results and anatomic pathology. The most important skills for a medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.

Histopathology technician vs medical laboratory technician overview

Histopathology TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary$59,825$51,780
Hourly rate$28.76$24.89
Growth rate17%16%
Number of jobs18,82588,721
Job satisfaction-3.33
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Associate Degree, 55%
Average age4444
Years of experience1212

Histopathology technician vs medical laboratory technician salary

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

Histopathology TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Average salary$59,825$51,780
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $99,000Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying CityLebanon, PALos Angeles, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyZoetisFavorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between histopathology technician and medical laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a histopathology technician and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

Histopathology TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Associate Degree, 55%
Most common majorBiologyClinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Most common collegeNew York UniversityUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Histopathology technician vs medical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between histopathology technicians' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:

Histopathology TechnicianMedical Laboratory Technician
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 41.9% Female, 58.1%Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between histopathology technician and medical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Histopathology technician example responsibilities.

  • Recognize & investigate instrument malfunctions, perform calibrations, manage QC, and maintain comprehensive written records of tests & procedures.
  • Validate and optimize antibody for clinical immunohistochemistry assay.
  • Prepare cell block from urine, bronchial brushing, washing, FNA slide preparation.
  • Validate and optimize antibody for clinical immunohistochemistry assay.

Medical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
  • Accomplish constant multitasking between phlebotomy, reception and lab on a daily basis while providing outstanding customer communication skills.
  • Conduct clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and specimen analysis in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, serology and immunology.
  • Experience in the areas of chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, coagulation and microbiology specimen preparation.
  • Serve as rotational general laboratory technician in urinalysis, serology, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, and shipping.
  • Pass and receive ASCP MLT certification upon graduation.
  • Show more

Histopathology technician vs medical laboratory technician skills

Common histopathology technician skills
  • Laboratory Equipment, 15%
  • Laboratory Results, 12%
  • Anatomic Pathology, 11%
  • Troubleshoot, 8%
  • Sectioning, 6%
  • Tissue Samples, 6%
Common medical laboratory technician skills
  • Medical Laboratory, 10%
  • Patients, 10%
  • ASCP, 9%
  • Clinical Laboratory, 8%
  • MLT, 6%
  • Patient Care, 4%

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