Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead laboratory technicians and 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 lead laboratory technician, becoming a technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a lead laboratory technician has an average salary of $54,230, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.
The top three skills for a lead laboratory technician include patients, lab equipment and customer service. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Lead Laboratory Technician | Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $54,230 | $38,045 |
| Hourly rate | $26.07 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 77,096 | 596,842 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Lead laboratory technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Laboratory Technician | Technician | |
| Average salary | $54,230 | $38,045 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $86,000 | Between $24,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Meta | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a lead laboratory technician and a technician in terms of educational background:
| Lead Laboratory Technician | Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | New York University | - |
Here are the differences between lead laboratory technicians' and technicians' demographics:
| Lead Laboratory Technician | Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8% | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 2% |