Laboratory associate vs laboratory supervisor

The differences between laboratory associates and laboratory supervisors 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 laboratory supervisor. Additionally, a laboratory supervisor has an average salary of $67,361, 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 supervisor are clinical laboratory, patients, and chemistry.

Laboratory associate vs laboratory supervisor overview

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Supervisor
Yearly salary	$42,756	$67,361
Hourly rate	$20.56	$32.39
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	50,050	49,957
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
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 laboratory supervisor do?

The primary job of laboratory supervisors is to oversee the daily operations of laboratories. They are responsible for facilitating the collection, analysis, and interpretation of laboratory results. Other responsibilities include supervising personnel, managing the operating budget of the laboratory, and hiring employees. Laboratory supervisors are responsible for overseeing quality assurance and enforcing practices to ensure quality control within the laboratory. Aside from these tasks, they also manage the acquisition of laboratory equipment and supplies and resolve any technical or administrative issues within the laboratory.

Laboratory associate vs laboratory supervisor salary

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

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Supervisor
Average salary	$42,756	$67,361
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $63,000	Between $47,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	New Brunswick, NJ	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Meta	Chevron
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between laboratory associate and laboratory supervisor education

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

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	New York University	Northwestern University

Laboratory associate vs laboratory supervisor demographics

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

	Laboratory Associate	Laboratory Supervisor
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 42.2% Female, 57.8%	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory associate and laboratory supervisor 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 supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage personnel within the team, and provide guidance relating to laboratory EMR to performance improvement projects
Handle administrative and IRB tasks, manage fiscal matters, maintain record system of participant data.
Manage all static data, generate reports, run queries and support laboratories with technical knowledge and advice.
Manage pneumatic resistance rehabilitation lab.
Manage and maintain various automate laboratory equipment though GMP safe practices.
Assist with implementation of new procedures as laboratory works to achieving ISO certification.

Laboratory associate vs laboratory supervisor skills

Common laboratory associate skills

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

Common laboratory supervisor skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Patients, 10%
Chemistry, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Lab Equipment, 5%
Test Results, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Laboratory Associate
Laboratory Associate vs Laboratory Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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