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The differences between histotechnicians and senior 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 a senior laboratory technician. Additionally, a histotechnician has an average salary of $49,119, which is higher than the $48,530 average annual salary of a senior laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a histotechnician include ASCP, tissue specimens and CLIA. The most important skills for a senior laboratory technician are lab equipment, patients, and research projects.
| Histotechnician | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $49,119 | $48,530 |
| Hourly rate | $23.61 | $23.33 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 42,647 | 63,876 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 Senior Laboratory Technician is responsible for supervising and coordinating scientific investigations and experiments. They supervise staff, provide technical support, and construct, maintain, and operate standard laboratory equipment.
Histotechnicians and senior laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Histotechnician | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $49,119 | $48,530 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $80,000 | Between $34,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Stanford Health Care | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a histotechnician and a senior laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Histotechnician | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between histotechnicians' and senior laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Histotechnician | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5% | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% |
| 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |