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The differences between histotechnicians and clinical laboratory assistants 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 a clinical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a histotechnician has an average salary of $49,119, which is higher than the $32,679 average annual salary of a clinical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a histotechnician include ASCP, tissue specimens and CLIA. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and clinical lab.
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $49,119 | $32,679 |
| Hourly rate | $23.61 | $15.71 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 42,647 | 108,124 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| 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.
A clinical laboratory assistant specializes in performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar setting using their in-depth knowledge. They are primarily responsible for assisting researchers, preparing samples and apparatus, conducting experiments and analysis, maintaining extensive documentation of all processes and results, and reporting to management. Moreover, a clinical laboratory assistant is also responsible for gathering necessary information before beginning studies and maintaining the laboratory's cleanliness and sanitation. It is vital to implement all the safety rules and regulations to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
Histotechnicians and clinical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $49,119 | $32,679 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $80,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | Roswell Park |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a histotechnician and a clinical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between histotechnicians' and clinical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| 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, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.1% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |