What does a laboratory aide do?
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 aide responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real laboratory aide resumes:
- Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
- Train in performing EKG's.
- Attach holsters and perform EKG's.
- Used PCR to phenotype blood and serum samples.
- Operate centrifuges to spin testing tube samples during peak times during work shift.
- Employ DNA isolation, PCR replication and gel electrophoresis to isolate genetic sequences.
- Pick up lab specimens throughout the hospital for time or stat pick ups and emergency lab draws.
- Design and troubleshoot electronic circuits at the component level including simulation testing through PSpice, and Multisim.
- Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair lab workstations, servers, virtual machines, printers and network equipment.
- Communicate clearly with both patients and requesting physicians.
- Complete all extra accredit coursework for phlebotomy supervisor.
- Collect and test specimens and provide phlebotomy services to customers.
- Ensure laboratory and mammography patients are schedule and register according to standard operation procedure.
- Multi-Task with responsibilities ranging from customer service to looking up diagnoses while gaining understanding of hematology
- Maintain equipment such as centrifuges, incubators, refrigerators, spectrophotometers, gel electrophoresis, and computers.
Laboratory aide skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Laboratory Aides are proficient in Patients, Specimen Handling, and Lab Equipment. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Observational skills.
We break down the percentage of Laboratory Aides that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 15%
Ensured laboratory and mammography patients are scheduled and registered according to standard operation procedure.
- Specimen Handling, 11%
Decreased errors in specimen handling by effectively operating as an interoffice liaison between providers, reference labs and clinics.
- Lab Equipment, 11%
Prepared chemical solutions, set up lab equipment/materials for general chemistry labs, washed equipment, worked independently, followed instructions.
- Phlebotomy, 10%
Collected and tested specimens and provided phlebotomy services to customers.
- Cleanliness, 5%
Maintained safety and cleanliness of the laboratory for ease of use to lab users.
- Data Entry, 5%
Received specimen, completed data entry, and distributed specimen to different departments.
"patients," "specimen handling," and "lab equipment" are among the most common skills that laboratory aides use at work. You can find even more laboratory aide responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a laboratory aide to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "biological technicians need to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision." Additionally, a laboratory aide resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "registered and ordered laboratory test from outside clients, utilizing several data entry systems. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform laboratory aide duties is communication skills. Laboratory aides responsibilities require that "biological technicians must understand and follow the instructions of their managing scientists." Laboratory aides also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "experiment set up and design, data collection and analysis, weekly lab meeting, patient communication"
Observational skills. laboratory aides are also known for observational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to laboratory aide responsibilities, because "biological technicians must constantly monitor their experiments." A laboratory aide resume example shows how observational skills is used in the workplace: "set up computer lab systems construct low lighting device for astronomy observational deck"
Technical skills. laboratory aide responsibilities often require "technical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "biological technicians need to set up and operate sophisticated equipment and instruments." This resume example shows what laboratory aides do with technical skills on a typical day: "provide minor technical support for students on campus and maintained computer labs"
The three companies that hire the most laboratory aides are:
- Fred Hutch9 laboratory aides jobs
- Munson Healthcare5 laboratory aides jobs
- Antech Diagnostics4 laboratory aides jobs
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Compare different laboratory aides
Laboratory aide vs. Medical technologist
A medical technologist's role is to conduct laboratory tests with accuracy and speed. It is their responsibility to gather, prepare, and analyze samples such as blood, tissues, and bodily fluid. The produced results will be crucial to a patient's diagnosis and further treatments. It is also essential for medical technologists to keep a precise record of data and coordinate with fellow team members and physicians to ensure the fast and efficient delivery of results. Furthermore, a medical technologist can choose to work in different establishments such as a hospital, laboratory, or private clinic.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a laboratory aide are more likely to require skills like "test results," "blood specimens," "phone calls," and "computer programs." On the other hand, a job as a medical technologist requires skills like "clinical laboratory," "ascp," "customer service," and "microbiology." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Medical technologists really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $54,453. Comparatively, laboratory aides tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $31,856.On average, medical technologists reach similar levels of education than laboratory aides. Medical technologists are 2.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Laboratory aide vs. Histologic technician
A Histologic Technician prepares tissue specimens for routine and special procedures to confirm a patient diagnosis. They work in hospital laboratories, government agencies, public health departments, and other institutions.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real laboratory aide resumes. While laboratory aide responsibilities can utilize skills like "phlebotomy," "blood samples," "test results," and "blood specimens," histologic technicians use skills like "ascp," "tissue specimens," "clia," and "ihc."
Histologic technicians earn similar levels of education than laboratory aides in general. They're 3.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for laboratory aides in the next 3-5 years?
Mohammad Saadeh Ph.D.
Department Head, Southeastern Louisiana University
Laboratory aide vs. Certified pharmacist technician
A certified pharmacist technician is responsible for assisting patients by providing medicines based on their needs or their physicians' prescriptions. Certified pharmacist technicians must be able to supply the correct medications, including the right dosage to patients. They must also have a broad understanding of the medical industry, providing medicinal information to patients and referring them to the right health professionals as needed. Certified pharmacist technicians also monitor medicine inventories, manage supplies, and create sales reports.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, laboratory aides are more likely to have skills like "specimen handling," "lab equipment," "phlebotomy," and "blood samples." But a certified pharmacist technician is more likely to have skills like "direct supervision," "math," "telephone calls," and "inventory control."
Certified pharmacist technicians make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $37,078. On the other hand, laboratory aides are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $31,856.Most certified pharmacist technicians achieve a similar degree level compared to laboratory aides. For example, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Laboratory aide vs. Pharmacist technician
Pharmacist technicians assist pharmacists in their daily activities. They receive prescription medicine order requests of customers, validate the prescription, prepare the medicines, properly label medicine bottles, and hand them off to customers. They also answer customer inquiries and attend to customer concerns. Pharmacist technicians also manage the pharmacy's inventory and ensure that all records are up to date. They are also authorized to create purchase requisition requests for medicines that are running low and need to be refilled, but these requests should still be authorized by a doctor.
Types of laboratory aide
Updated January 8, 2025
