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The differences between laboratory interns and biology laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a laboratory internship and a biology laboratory assistant. Additionally, a laboratory internship has an average salary of $35,305, which is higher than the $34,240 average annual salary of a biology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a laboratory internship include lab procedures, chemistry and python. The most important skills for a biology laboratory assistant are lab equipment, biology laboratory, and chemistry.
| Laboratory Internship | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $35,305 | $34,240 |
| Hourly rate | $16.97 | $16.46 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,970 | 48,958 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A laboratory intern is responsible for assisting laboratory operations and perform examinations and experiments under the supervision of tenured laboratory staff. Laboratory interns shadow all the laboratory processes, document their observations, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the results. They must have excellent knowledge of scientific procedures, demonstrating their class learnings to practical applications. A laboratory intern must be detail-oriented, especially on conducting and verifying the accuracy of research materials. It is also required for a laboratory intern to be a fast-learner, understanding the scientific complexities to master various approaches.
A biology laboratory assistant is in charge of assisting scientists or researchers and performing laboratory support tasks on a daily basis. Their responsibilities include setting up and sanitizing equipment, preparing samples, maintaining documentation of all experiments and procedures, writing laboratory reports, and running errands as needed. There are also instances where they must update databases, answer calls and correspondence, and grade student papers. Furthermore, a biology laboratory assistant must maintain the cleanliness of laboratories, all while implementing its policies and regulations.
Laboratory interns and biology laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Internship | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $35,305 | $34,240 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $48,000 | Between $22,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Bridgewater, MA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a laboratory internship and a biology laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Internship | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between laboratory interns' and biology laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Laboratory Internship | Biology Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2% | Male, 36.7% Female, 63.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 18.2% White, 49.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4% | Black or African American, 12.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 14.9% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |