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The differences between laboratory coordinators and medical laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a laboratory coordinator, becoming a medical laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a laboratory coordinator has an average salary of $52,690, which is higher than the $51,780 average annual salary of a medical laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a laboratory coordinator include lab equipment, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.
| Laboratory Coordinator | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $52,690 | $51,780 |
| Hourly rate | $25.33 | $24.89 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 64,914 | 88,721 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A laboratory coordinator is responsible for supporting laboratory examinations and experiments, collecting laboratory samples, and ensuring the efficiency and performance of laboratory tools and equipment. Laboratory coordinators maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the laboratory facility at all times to avoid contaminations and hazards that may affect laboratory results and accuracy of examinations. They also perform scientific processes under the supervision of a scientist or laboratory technicians and keep an organized report of findings in the database.
A medical laboratory technician is responsible for assisting medical health professionals in conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and provide treatments. Medical laboratory technicians ensure the sanitation of all the tools and equipment before conducting tests. They collect adequate blood samples and specimens, analyze fluid elements, utilize laboratory equipment safely, create reports of findings, and alert medical personnel and medical technologists of emergency conditions. A medical laboratory technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry disciplines and processes to perform sensitive tasks and release accurate medical results.
Laboratory coordinators and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Coordinator | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $52,690 | $51,780 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $72,000 | Between $37,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | AbbVie | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a laboratory coordinator and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Coordinator | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Biology | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between laboratory coordinators' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Laboratory Coordinator | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |