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The differences between histotechnicians and laboratory coordinators 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 laboratory coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laboratory coordinator has an average salary of $52,690, 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 laboratory coordinator are lab equipment, patients, and patient care.
| Histotechnician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $49,119 | $52,690 |
| Hourly rate | $23.61 | $25.33 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 42,647 | 64,914 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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 laboratory coordinator is responsible for supporting laboratory examinations and experiments, collecting laboratory samples, and ensuring the efficiency and performance of laboratory tools and equipment. Laboratory coordinators maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the laboratory facility at all times to avoid contaminations and hazards that may affect laboratory results and accuracy of examinations. They also perform scientific processes under the supervision of a scientist or laboratory technicians and keep an organized report of findings in the database.
Histotechnicians and laboratory coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Histotechnician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $49,119 | $52,690 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $80,000 | Between $38,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a histotechnician and a laboratory coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Histotechnician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between histotechnicians' and laboratory coordinators' demographics:
| Histotechnician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |