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The differences between laboratory supervisors and assistant laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a laboratory supervisor and an assistant laboratory technician. Additionally, a laboratory supervisor has an average salary of $67,361, which is higher than the $35,556 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a laboratory supervisor include clinical laboratory, patients and chemistry. The most important skills for an assistant laboratory technician are patients, ladders, and computer lab.
| Laboratory Supervisor | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $67,361 | $35,556 |
| Hourly rate | $32.39 | $17.09 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 49,957 | 116,488 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
The primary job of laboratory supervisors is to oversee the daily operations of laboratories. They are responsible for facilitating the collection, analysis, and interpretation of laboratory results. Other responsibilities include supervising personnel, managing the operating budget of the laboratory, and hiring employees. Laboratory supervisors are responsible for overseeing quality assurance and enforcing practices to ensure quality control within the laboratory. Aside from these tasks, they also manage the acquisition of laboratory equipment and supplies and resolve any technical or administrative issues within the laboratory.
The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.
Laboratory supervisors and assistant laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Supervisor | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $67,361 | $35,556 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $96,000 | Between $21,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Manchester, NH |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Patterson-UTI Energy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a laboratory supervisor and an assistant laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Supervisor | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between laboratory supervisors' and assistant laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Laboratory Supervisor | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |