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The differences between histotechnicians and phlebotomy 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 a phlebotomy technician. Additionally, a histotechnician has an average salary of $49,119, which is higher than the $34,725 average annual salary of a phlebotomy technician.
The top three skills for a histotechnician include ASCP, tissue specimens and CLIA. The most important skills for a phlebotomy technician are patients, infection control, and blood specimens.
| Histotechnician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,119 | $34,725 |
| Hourly rate | $23.61 | $16.69 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 42,647 | 107,110 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 18% |
| 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 phlebotomy technician is responsible for conducting the medical procedure of drawing blood samples using extraction tools and other equipment. Phlebotomy technicians label the samples for laboratory examinations, donation testing, and other related purposes. They also inspect and maintain the cleanliness of medical equipment, including sterilization of needles and other tools, to avoid contamination that would affect the accuracy of the results. A phlebotomy technician records fluid tests and procedures for reference and patient examination history.
Histotechnicians and phlebotomy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Histotechnician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,119 | $34,725 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $80,000 | Between $26,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a histotechnician and a phlebotomy technician in terms of educational background:
| Histotechnician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Associate Degree, 18% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between histotechnicians' and phlebotomy technicians' demographics:
| Histotechnician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 16.3% Female, 83.7% |
| 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, 11.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |