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The differences between laboratory aides and 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 laboratory aide and a laboratory assistant. Additionally, a laboratory assistant has an average salary of $34,168, which is higher than the $28,083 average annual salary of a laboratory aide.
The top three skills for a laboratory aide include patients, specimen handling and lab equipment. The most important skills for a laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and customer service.
| Laboratory Aide | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $28,083 | $34,168 |
| Hourly rate | $13.50 | $16.43 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 89,595 | 50,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A laboratory aide is primarily responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and order in laboratories, all while performing support tasks for scientists. Their duties revolve around arranging specimens and samples, transporting materials from one laboratory to another, preparing apparatuses and machines, and storing them accordingly. A laboratory aide may also run errands, produce progress reports, sanitize areas and instruments, and properly dispose of chemicals and other hazardous waste. Furthermore, it is crucial to implement the laboratory's safety policies and regulations, ensuring a safe and healthy laboratory environment for everyone.
Laboratory assistants work for researchers, scientists, or professors in the laboratory setting. They are expected to have a solid background in the field of study of the laboratory they are assigned to. They do a variety of tasks in the laboratory, such as setting up equipment, observing experiments, analyzing results, creating reports, and recommending improvements to the testing. They may also be assigned to clean and sanitize laboratory equipment as needed. Laboratory assistants should have good research skills, analytical skills, and organizational skills.
Laboratory aides and laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Aide | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $28,083 | $34,168 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $38,000 | Between $26,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Illumina | UST Global |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a laboratory aide and a laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Aide | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between laboratory aides' and laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Laboratory Aide | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6% | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.1% White, 54.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 13.9% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |