Laboratory associate vs clinical laboratory technician

The differences between laboratory associates and clinical 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 associate and a clinical laboratory technician. Additionally, a clinical laboratory technician has an average salary of $50,756, which is higher than the $42,756 average annual salary of a laboratory associate.

The top three skills for a laboratory associate include patients, specimen handling and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory technician are patients, test results, and patient care.

Laboratory associate vs clinical laboratory technician overview

	Laboratory Associate	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$42,756	$50,756
Hourly rate	$20.56	$24.40
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	50,050	119,050
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a laboratory associate do?

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.

What does a clinical laboratory technician do?

A clinical laboratory technician typically works under the direction of a physician or medical technologist to perform tests that will aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions and illnesses. You will perform various duties, including preparing samples for analysis, monitoring tests and procedures, and matching blood for transfusion. Additionally, you are expected to participate in staff training and educational opportunities and contribute to a secure and safe environment for patients, physicians, co-workers, and visitors. This role will also require ensuring that laboratory information remains confidential.

Laboratory associate vs clinical laboratory technician salary

Laboratory associates and clinical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Associate	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$42,756	$50,756
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $63,000	Between $36,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	New Brunswick, NJ	Stockton, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Meta	Claxton Hepburn
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Media

Differences between laboratory associate and clinical laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a laboratory associate and a clinical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Laboratory Associate	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Laboratory associate vs clinical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory associates' and clinical laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Laboratory Associate	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.2% Female, 57.8%	Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.9% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory associate and clinical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Laboratory associate example responsibilities.

Manage supply inventory and maintain cleanliness.
Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Direct patient care, phlebotomy, medical billing, clinical laboratory specimen collection, reference laboratory coordinator, specimen courier.
Operate combines to harvest crops for yield-testing field crops.
Perform fluorescence in situ hybridization in a CLIA certify lab.
Utilize CoPath for receiving specimen and reporting out of test results.

Clinical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Provide oversight of training and competency testing of technicians to ensure compliance with CLIA, HIPPA and OSHA guidelines.
Collect, process, and analyze clinical specimens for several departments including microbiology, chemistry, hematology, and urinalysis
Experience working in a hospital laboratory in automate chemistry, hematology, blood bank, urinalysis, and immunology departments.
Dispose of biohazard wastes according to OSHA standards ..
Screen blood products for pathogens and co-treatment success.

Laboratory associate vs clinical laboratory technician skills

Common laboratory associate skills

Patients, 10%
Specimen Handling, 6%
Phlebotomy, 6%
Chemistry, 6%
Customer Service, 4%
Patient Care, 4%

Common clinical laboratory technician skills

Patients, 16%
Test Results, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Hematology, 5%
Body Fluids, 4%
Proficiency Testing, 4%

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Laboratory Associate
Laboratory Associate vs Clinical Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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