Laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician

The differences between laboratory technicians and research laboratory technicians 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 technician, becoming a research laboratory technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a laboratory technician has an average salary of $40,038, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research laboratory technician.

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

Laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician overview

	Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$40,038	$38,308
Hourly rate	$19.25	$18.42
Growth rate	4%	9%
Number of jobs	84,357	86,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	44	40
Years of experience	12	4

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 research laboratory technician do?

Research laboratory technicians play a vital role in scientific laboratories. They perform varied duties and responsibilities, which include setting up, operating, and maintaining the laboratory equipment, assisting in laboratory-based research activities such as sampling, testing, and analyzing results, and providing technical support to the laboratory team members. In addition, they are expected to support the development and advancement of science and modern medicine. Other typical duties of research laboratory technicians include preparing samples and specimens, keeping abreast with current technical developments, and ensuring strict compliance with safety procedures.

Laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician salary

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

	Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$40,038	$38,308
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $58,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	Alaska	Illinois
Best paying company	Tenaska	Accenture
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between laboratory technician and research laboratory technician education

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

	Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	New York University	Cornell University

Laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician demographics

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

	Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7%	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between laboratory technician and research 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.

Research laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage RT-PCR screening of candidate genes.
Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Use many scientific techniques to collect and analyze RNA, DNA, and specific proteins from lines of potato plants.
Preform computational molecular simulation of DNA and RNA.
Retain patients from previous research projects and update database using patient histories and correlating pertinent medical data.
Work with non human primates in an HIV testing laboratory.

Laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician skills

Common laboratory technician skills

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

Common research laboratory technician skills

Patients, 9%
Chemistry, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 7%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Data, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician vs Research Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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