Medical imaging technician vs medical laboratory technician

The differences between medical imaging technicians and medical 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 medical imaging technician and a medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $49,295 average annual salary of a medical imaging technician.

The top three skills for a medical imaging technician include patients, radiology and patient care. The most important skills for a medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.

Medical imaging technician vs medical laboratory technician overview

	Medical Imaging Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$49,295	$51,780
Hourly rate	$23.70	$24.89
Growth rate	6%	16%
Number of jobs	119,068	88,721
Job satisfaction	-	3.33
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 50%	Associate Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

Medical imaging technician vs medical laboratory technician salary

Medical imaging technicians and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Imaging Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$49,295	$51,780
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $80,000	Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between medical imaging technician and medical laboratory technician education

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

	Medical Imaging Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 50%	Associate Degree, 55%
Most common major	Medical Technician	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	University of Maryland - College Park

Medical imaging technician vs medical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between medical imaging technicians' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Medical Imaging Technician	Medical Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between medical imaging technician and medical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Medical imaging technician example responsibilities.

Perform all aspects of lab work done by a small rural hospital including EKG's and ER call.
Participate in surgery setup and injury care by presiding physician on daily basis.
Advocate and represent patients, effectively resolving issues to ensure quality care and excellent patient relations.
Handle and direct incoming correspondence, ensure timely attention to sensitive matters, schedule orders receive and direct patients.
Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
Perform patient evaluation and procedures utilizing Phillips and OEC fluoroscopy instruments.

Medical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
Accomplish constant multitasking between phlebotomy, reception and lab on a daily basis while providing outstanding customer communication skills.
Conduct clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and specimen analysis in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, serology and immunology.
Experience in the areas of chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, coagulation and microbiology specimen preparation.
Serve as rotational general laboratory technician in urinalysis, serology, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, and shipping.
Pass and receive ASCP MLT certification upon graduation.

Medical imaging technician vs medical laboratory technician skills

Common medical imaging technician skills

Patients, 24%
Radiology, 20%
Patient Care, 19%
ARRT, 15%
Radiographic Procedures, 7%
MRI, 4%

Common medical laboratory technician skills

Medical Laboratory, 10%
Patients, 10%
ASCP, 9%
Clinical Laboratory, 8%
MLT, 6%
Patient Care, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Medical Imaging Technician
Medical Imaging Technician vs Medical Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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