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The differences between laboratory supervisors and senior 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 senior laboratory technician. Additionally, a laboratory supervisor has an average salary of $67,361, which is higher than the $48,530 average annual salary of a senior laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a laboratory supervisor include clinical laboratory, patients and chemistry. The most important skills for a senior laboratory technician are lab equipment, patients, and research projects.
| Laboratory Supervisor | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $67,361 | $48,530 |
| Hourly rate | $32.39 | $23.33 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 49,957 | 63,876 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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.
A Senior Laboratory Technician is responsible for supervising and coordinating scientific investigations and experiments. They supervise staff, provide technical support, and construct, maintain, and operate standard laboratory equipment.
Laboratory supervisors and senior laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Supervisor | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $67,361 | $48,530 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $96,000 | Between $34,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Chevron | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a laboratory supervisor and a senior laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Supervisor | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | New York University |
Here are the differences between laboratory supervisors' and senior laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Laboratory Supervisor | Senior Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3% | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% |
| 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |