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The differences between laboratory specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a laboratory specialist and a specialist. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $50,357 average annual salary of a laboratory specialist.
The top three skills for a laboratory specialist include chemistry, patients and test results. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Laboratory Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,357 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $24.21 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 68,634 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A laboratory specialist develops the areas assigned to them and promotes maximum resource allocation and utilization to achieve their goals. Laboratory specialists handle storage and backup devices, support telecommunication-associated equipment, and relay customer requests and issues. It is their job to process specimens in toxicology, coagulation, microbiology, hematology, chemistry, and urinalysis. Skills and knowledge in a photo lab, cell culture, customer service, and test cases are necessary for this position.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Laboratory specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,357 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $69,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Nokia | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a laboratory specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY Stony Brook | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between laboratory specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Laboratory Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |