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The differences between laboratory interns and senior laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a laboratory internship, becoming a senior laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a senior laboratory technician has an average salary of $48,530, which is higher than the $35,305 average annual salary of a laboratory internship.
The top three skills for a laboratory internship include lab procedures, chemistry and python. The most important skills for a senior laboratory technician are lab equipment, patients, and research projects.
| Laboratory Internship | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,305 | $48,530 |
| Hourly rate | $16.97 | $23.33 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 90,970 | 63,876 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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 Senior Laboratory Technician is responsible for supervising and coordinating scientific investigations and experiments. They supervise staff, provide technical support, and construct, maintain, and operate standard laboratory equipment.
Laboratory interns and senior laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Internship | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,305 | $48,530 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $48,000 | Between $34,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a laboratory internship and a senior laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Internship | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Cornell University | New York University |
Here are the differences between laboratory interns' and senior laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Laboratory Internship | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2% | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% |
| 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |