Laboratory supervisor vs laboratory specialist

The differences between laboratory supervisors and laboratory specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a laboratory supervisor, becoming a laboratory specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laboratory supervisor has an average salary of $67,361, which is higher than the $50,357 average annual salary of a laboratory specialist.

The top three skills for a laboratory supervisor include clinical laboratory, patients and chemistry. The most important skills for a laboratory specialist are chemistry, patients, and test results.

Laboratory supervisor vs laboratory specialist overview

	Laboratory Supervisor	Laboratory Specialist
Yearly salary	$67,361	$50,357
Hourly rate	$32.39	$24.21
Growth rate	3%	10%
Number of jobs	49,957	68,634
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	2

What does a laboratory supervisor do?

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.

What does a laboratory specialist do?

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.

Laboratory supervisor vs laboratory specialist salary

Laboratory supervisors and laboratory specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Supervisor	Laboratory Specialist
Average salary	$67,361	$50,357
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $96,000	Between $36,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Hawaii
Best paying company	Chevron	Nokia
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between laboratory supervisor and laboratory specialist education

There are a few differences between a laboratory supervisor and a laboratory specialist in terms of educational background:

	Laboratory Supervisor	Laboratory Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Northwestern University	SUNY Stony Brook

Laboratory supervisor vs laboratory specialist demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory supervisors' and laboratory specialists' demographics:

	Laboratory Supervisor	Laboratory Specialist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory supervisor and laboratory specialist duties and responsibilities

Laboratory supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage personnel within the team, and provide guidance relating to laboratory EMR to performance improvement projects
Handle administrative and IRB tasks, manage fiscal matters, maintain record system of participant data.
Manage all static data, generate reports, run queries and support laboratories with technical knowledge and advice.
Manage pneumatic resistance rehabilitation lab.
Manage and maintain various automate laboratory equipment though GMP safe practices.
Assist with implementation of new procedures as laboratory works to achieving ISO certification.

Laboratory specialist example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Process specimens in the areas of chemistry, toxicology, hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, serology, and microbiology.
Perform general routine clinical laboratory testing in the areas of clinical chemistry, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis and blood bank.
Perform DNA and RNA isolation, standard and real time PCR, primer design, gene sequence analysis.
Perform clinical laboratory procedures in hematology, clinical chemistry and urinalysis.
Provide customer service to patients and clinicians while collecting specimens and providing patient education.

Laboratory supervisor vs laboratory specialist skills

Common laboratory supervisor skills

Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Patients, 10%
Chemistry, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Lab Equipment, 5%
Test Results, 5%

Common laboratory specialist skills

Chemistry, 10%
Patients, 10%
Test Results, 8%
Laboratory Tests, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Centrifuges, 5%

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Laboratory Supervisor
Laboratory Supervisor vs Laboratory Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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