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The differences between laboratory managers and laboratory coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a laboratory manager, becoming a laboratory coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laboratory manager has an average salary of $74,314, which is higher than the $52,690 average annual salary of a laboratory coordinator.
The top three skills for a laboratory manager include lab equipment, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a laboratory coordinator are lab equipment, patients, and patient care.
| Laboratory Manager | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $74,314 | $52,690 |
| Hourly rate | $35.73 | $25.33 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 43,321 | 64,914 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Laboratory managers provide accurate laboratory diagnosis through evaluating specimen procedures and coordinating with pathologists to validate laboratory findings. They are responsible for maintaining laboratory tools and equipment, ensuring the proper sterilization of instruments before and after use, organizing equipment based on its function, and immediately repairing or replacing defective items. A laboratory manager also secures the confidentiality of laboratory systems, keeping records of results, and releasing information to the appropriate personnel. Laboratory managers must have a broad knowledge of the scientific industry, as well as excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills.
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.
Laboratory managers and laboratory coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Manager | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $74,314 | $52,690 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $111,000 | Between $38,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a laboratory manager and a laboratory coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Manager | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between laboratory managers' and laboratory coordinators' demographics:
| Laboratory Manager | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |