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The differences between histotechnicians and assistant 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 histotechnician and an assistant laboratory technician. Additionally, a histotechnician has an average salary of $49,119, which is higher than the $35,556 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a histotechnician include ASCP, tissue specimens and CLIA. The most important skills for an assistant laboratory technician are patients, ladders, and computer lab.
| Histotechnician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,119 | $35,556 |
| Hourly rate | $23.61 | $17.09 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 42,647 | 116,488 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Histotechnicians are clinical laboratory technicians who prepare thin body tissue samples by pathologists. The majority of the technicians work in hospitals or libraries. Among the duties they perform include special stains, filling slides and blocks, send-outs, and re-cuts. They execute routine and complex non-routine special stains like tissue and specimen cutting and embedding. It is also their responsibility to execute routine maintenance and calibrations of microscopes, automated slide strainers, and microtomes.
The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.
Histotechnicians and assistant laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Histotechnician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,119 | $35,556 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $80,000 | Between $21,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Manchester, NH |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | Patterson-UTI Energy |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a histotechnician and an assistant laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Histotechnician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between histotechnicians' and assistant laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Histotechnician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |