Laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician

The differences between laboratory technicians 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 technician and a lead laboratory technician. Additionally, a lead laboratory technician has an average salary of $54,230, which is higher than the $40,038 average annual salary of a laboratory technician.

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

Laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician overview

	Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$40,038	$54,230
Hourly rate	$19.25	$26.07
Growth rate	4%	3%
Number of jobs	84,357	77,096
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a laboratory technician do?

Laboratory technicians are medical professionals who work in the laboratory. They are responsible for the equipment in the laboratory, making sure tools are properly sanitized and sterilized after every use. They also ensure that laboratory equipment works well. Laboratory technicians may also be responsible for collecting and testing samples from patients. They prepare solutions and other chemicals that may be needed for testing. They also provide an analysis of the samples that they tested. Laboratory technicians ensure that all items in the laboratory are properly labeled and organized.

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 technician vs lead laboratory technician salary

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

	Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$40,038	$54,230
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $58,000	Between $33,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	New Jersey
Best paying company	Tenaska	Meta
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between laboratory technician and lead laboratory technician education

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

	Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician demographics

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

	Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% 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 technician and lead laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Analyze and paid attention to detail as well as demonstrated excellent organization skills, manual dexterity and good eyesight.
Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate with EKG equipment and notify physician is something appears to be wrong.
Monitor several color formulations being manufacture in the production department to ensure manufacturing procedures are follow per ISO and GMP.
Perform age appropriate phlebotomy while working with critically or terminally ill patients, with careful respect for individual and/or cultural concerns.

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 technician vs lead laboratory technician skills

Common laboratory technician skills

Patients, 17%
Lab Equipment, 8%
Customer Service, 6%
Basic Math, 4%
Test Results, 4%
Math, 4%

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 Technician
Laboratory Technician vs Lead Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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