Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between laboratory associates and clinical 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 associate and a clinical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a laboratory associate has an average salary of $42,756, which is higher than the $32,679 average annual salary of a clinical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a laboratory associate include patients, specimen handling and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and clinical lab.
| Laboratory Associate | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $42,756 | $32,679 |
| Hourly rate | $20.56 | $15.71 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 50,050 | 108,124 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A laboratory associate's responsibilities revolve around preparing test samples and subjecting them into different examination processes for scientific purposes. Aside from performing extensive analysis, they are also responsible for recording data, reviewing findings, collaborating with other scientists, and producing various reports and presentations. A laboratory associate can work for an institution or private company; they may also choose to contribute their studies in different publications and research activities. Furthermore, as a laboratory practitioner, it is essential to adhere to all the laboratory safety policies and regulations, ensuring a safe and healthy work environment.
A clinical laboratory assistant specializes in performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar setting using their in-depth knowledge. They are primarily responsible for assisting researchers, preparing samples and apparatus, conducting experiments and analysis, maintaining extensive documentation of all processes and results, and reporting to management. Moreover, a clinical laboratory assistant is also responsible for gathering necessary information before beginning studies and maintaining the laboratory's cleanliness and sanitation. It is vital to implement all the safety rules and regulations to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
Laboratory associates and clinical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Associate | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $42,756 | $32,679 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $63,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | New Brunswick, NJ | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Roswell Park |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a laboratory associate and a clinical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Associate | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between laboratory associates' and clinical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Laboratory Associate | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.2% Female, 57.8% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.2% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.1% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |