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The differences between histotechnicians and clinical laboratory scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a histotechnician, becoming a clinical laboratory scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical laboratory scientist has an average salary of $67,900, which is higher than the $49,119 average annual salary of a histotechnician.
The top three skills for a histotechnician include ASCP, tissue specimens and CLIA. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory scientist are patients, test results, and microbiology.
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,119 | $67,900 |
| Hourly rate | $23.61 | $32.64 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 42,647 | 133,838 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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 Scientist is responsible for performing laboratory tests that doctors count on to correctly diagnose and treat patients. They examine body fluids, tissues, and cells, identify infective microorganisms, and analyze the chemical constituents of body fluids.
Histotechnicians and clinical laboratory scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Average salary | $49,119 | $67,900 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $80,000 | Between $46,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | Westpac |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a histotechnician and a clinical laboratory scientist in terms of educational background:
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | New York University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between histotechnicians' and clinical laboratory scientists' demographics:
| Histotechnician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 15.4% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |