Laboratory supervisor vs lead laboratory technician

The differences between laboratory supervisors and lead 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 a lead laboratory technician. Additionally, a laboratory supervisor has an average salary of $67,361, which is higher than the $54,230 average annual salary of a lead laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a laboratory supervisor include clinical laboratory, patients and chemistry. The most important skills for a lead laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.

Laboratory supervisor vs lead laboratory technician overview

	Laboratory Supervisor	Lead Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$67,361	$54,230
Hourly rate	$32.39	$26.07
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	49,957	77,096
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

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 lead laboratory technician do?

A Lead Laboratory Technician coordinates the operations of a laboratory. They supervise the preparation of specimens for tests, collection of blood, examination of blood samples, and other duties performed by the technician team.

Laboratory supervisor vs lead laboratory technician salary

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

	Laboratory Supervisor	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$67,361	$54,230
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $96,000	Between $33,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Chevron	Meta
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between laboratory supervisor and lead laboratory technician education

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

	Laboratory Supervisor	Lead Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Northwestern University	New York University

Laboratory supervisor vs lead laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory supervisors' and lead laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Laboratory Supervisor	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
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, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory supervisor and lead laboratory technician 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.

Lead laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments.
Assist with FDA and OSHA audits, coordinate the center for all audits and inspections.
Accession patient information, doctor information, and testing information accurately and promptly into the NovoPath LIS system.
Develop and execute IQ/OQ/PQ at manufacturing site.
Maintain, troubleshoot, verify and calibrate laboratory equipment.

Laboratory supervisor vs lead laboratory technician skills

Common laboratory supervisor skills

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

Common lead laboratory technician skills

Patients, 12%
Lab Equipment, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Ongoing Maintenance, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Chemistry, 4%

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Laboratory Supervisor
Laboratory Supervisor vs Lead Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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