Laboratory associate vs laboratory specialist

The differences between laboratory associates and laboratory specialists 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 associate, becoming a laboratory specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laboratory specialist has an average salary of $50,357, 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 laboratory specialist are chemistry, patients, and test results.

Laboratory associate vs laboratory specialist overview

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Specialist
Yearly salary	$42,756	$50,357
Hourly rate	$20.56	$24.21
Growth rate	-	10%
Number of jobs	50,050	68,634
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	2

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 laboratory specialist do?

A laboratory specialist develops the areas assigned to them and promotes maximum resource allocation and utilization to achieve their goals. Laboratory specialists handle storage and backup devices, support telecommunication-associated equipment, and relay customer requests and issues. It is their job to process specimens in toxicology, coagulation, microbiology, hematology, chemistry, and urinalysis. Skills and knowledge in a photo lab, cell culture, customer service, and test cases are necessary for this position.

Laboratory associate vs laboratory specialist salary

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

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Specialist
Average salary	$42,756	$50,357
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $63,000	Between $36,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	New Brunswick, NJ	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	Meta	Nokia
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between laboratory associate and laboratory specialist education

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

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	New York University	SUNY Stony Brook

Laboratory associate vs laboratory specialist demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory associates' and laboratory specialists' demographics:

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Specialist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.2% Female, 57.8%	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory associate and laboratory specialist 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.

Laboratory specialist example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Process specimens in the areas of chemistry, toxicology, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and microbiology.
Perform general routine clinical laboratory testing in the areas of clinical chemistry, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis and blood bank.
Perform DNA and RNA isolation, standard and real time PCR, primer design, gene sequence analysis.
Perform clinical laboratory procedures in hematology, clinical chemistry and urinalysis.
Provide customer service to patients and clinicians while collecting specimens and providing patient education.

Laboratory associate vs laboratory specialist skills

Common laboratory associate skills

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

Common laboratory specialist skills

Chemistry, 10%
Patients, 10%
Test Results, 8%
Laboratory Tests, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Centrifuges, 5%

Laboratory Associate vs. similar jobs

Laboratory Associate related careers

Laboratory Associate related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Laboratory Associate
Laboratory Associate vs Laboratory Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs