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The differences between laboratory aides and medical 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 laboratory aide and a medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, 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 medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.
| Laboratory Aide | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $28,083 | $51,780 |
| Hourly rate | $13.50 | $24.89 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 89,595 | 88,721 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| 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.
A medical laboratory technician is responsible for assisting medical health professionals in conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and provide treatments. Medical laboratory technicians ensure the sanitation of all the tools and equipment before conducting tests. They collect adequate blood samples and specimens, analyze fluid elements, utilize laboratory equipment safely, create reports of findings, and alert medical personnel and medical technologists of emergency conditions. A medical laboratory technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry disciplines and processes to perform sensitive tasks and release accurate medical results.
Laboratory aides and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Aide | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $28,083 | $51,780 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $38,000 | Between $37,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Illumina | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a laboratory aide and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Aide | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Biology | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between laboratory aides' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Laboratory Aide | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |