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The differences between laboratory assistants and biology laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a laboratory assistant, becoming a biology laboratory assistant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a biology laboratory assistant has an average salary of $34,240, which is higher than the $34,168 average annual salary of a laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a laboratory assistant include patients, phlebotomy and customer service. The most important skills for a biology laboratory assistant are lab equipment, biology laboratory, and chemistry.
| Laboratory Assistant | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,168 | $34,240 |
| Hourly rate | $16.43 | $16.46 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 50,853 | 48,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Laboratory assistants and biology laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Assistant | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,168 | $34,240 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $44,000 | Between $22,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | UST Global | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a laboratory assistant and a biology laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Assistant | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between laboratory assistants' and biology laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Laboratory Assistant | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 6% |