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What does a medical laboratory assistant do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a medical laboratory assistant do

A medical laboratory assistant is in charge of performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a more experienced medical technician or scientist. Their responsibilities typically revolve around collecting samples such as blood and tissues, preparing slides, running tests using machines and equipment, and maintaining records of all procedures and results. Furthermore, a medical laboratory assistant must also keep the cleanliness of the laboratory, organize and monitor inventories, procure supplies, and implement the laboratory's policies and regulations.

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Medical laboratory assistant responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real medical laboratory assistant resumes:

  • Direct a team of professionals to achieve superior and consistent ventilator weaning outcomes for long term ventilator dependent patients.
  • Ensure and enforce medical office compliance with HIPAA, OSHA, and CLIA regulations for maximum quality and control
  • Adhere to JCAHO confidentiality as well as maintained CLIA and OSHA standards.
  • Monitor lab performance to be in compliance with CLIA requirements.
  • Ensure CLIA standards are compliant and assist annual state inspectors during their surveys.
  • Conduct intake assessments in emergency room which include administering of vitals, EKG s, and patient prepping.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in taking and giving accurate vitals, blood draws, injections, EKG'S UA'S.
  • Perform triage and physical examination.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in performing venipuncture techniques and injections.
  • Perform venipuncture on inpatients adhering to hospital standards and protocols.
  • Train nursing on laboratory testing and procedures and perform pediatric/adult phlebotomy.
  • Carry out maintenance on biomedical instrumentation, maintain laboratory cleanliness, and re-stock supplies
  • Provide backup coverage to supervisor and delegate assignments to ensure excellent care for patients.
  • Perform lab controls for urinalysis, capillary and venous blood collection for laboratory diagnostics.
  • Administer allergy injections, perform routine diagnostic laboratory test such as urinalysis and stool cultures.

Medical laboratory assistant skills and personality traits

We calculated that 15% of Medical Laboratory Assistants are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Medical Laboratory Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 15%

    Directed a team of professionals to achieve superior and consistent ventilator weaning outcomes for long term ventilator dependent patients.

  • Customer Service, 8%

    Participated in a team approach to patient care, working cooperatively with others to achieve productivity standards and exceptional customer service.

  • Data Entry, 6%

    Perform quality assurance checks on outpatient requisitions to ensure correctness of data entry.

  • Lab Equipment, 5%

    Maintain lab equipment and troubleshoot/resolve instrument problems under tech supervision.

  • Patient Care, 5%

    Provided assistance in routine patient care and medically related administrative support activities in the Emergency Department

  • Venipuncture, 4%

    Initiate lab printouts and documentation of labs received Perform venipuncture on patients

Common skills that a medical laboratory assistant uses to do their job include "patients," "customer service," and "data entry." You can find details on the most important medical laboratory assistant responsibilities below.

Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a medical laboratory assistant to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "medical assistants must be able to understand and follow medical charts and diagnoses." Additionally, a medical laboratory assistant resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "assisted management in the operation of the laboratory, patient registration and interpret data results. "

Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform medical laboratory assistant duties is detail oriented. Medical laboratory assistants responsibilities require that "medical assistants need to be precise when taking vital signs or recording patient information." Medical laboratory assistants also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "used the computer system to input patient details, loaded, unloaded and filed specimens onto abbott analysers. "

Interpersonal skills. medical laboratory assistants are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to medical laboratory assistant responsibilities, because "medical assistants need to be able to discuss patient information with other medical personnel, such as physicians." A medical laboratory assistant resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "developed extensive customer service and interpersonal skills through daily interactions with patients, office managers, and representatives. "

Technical skills. medical laboratory assistant responsibilities often require "technical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "medical assistants should be able to use basic clinical instruments so they can take a patient’s vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure." This resume example shows what medical laboratory assistants do with technical skills on a typical day: "provide customer service by answering broad technical questions and directing others to appropriate resources. "

Most common medical laboratory assistant skills

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Compare different medical laboratory assistants

Medical laboratory assistant vs. Medical clerk

A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.

We looked at the average medical laboratory assistant salary and compared it with the wages of a medical clerk. Generally speaking, medical clerks are paid $2,234 lower than medical laboratory assistants per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between medical laboratory assistants and medical clerks are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like patients, data entry, and patient care.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a medical laboratory assistant are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "lab equipment," "venipuncture," and "specimen handling." On the other hand, a job as a medical clerk requires skills like "medical terminology," "phone calls," "telephone calls," and "appointment scheduling." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Medical clerks earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $35,578. On the other hand, medical laboratory assistants are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $35,308.On average, medical clerks reach similar levels of education than medical laboratory assistants. Medical clerks are 0.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Medical laboratory assistant vs. Student medical assistant-externship

Student Medical Assistant Externship is a broad term for catering students for short, reliable, and practical work experience. Once you graduate, you can get a chance to meet contacts that may be useful for your career. You can have a better chance to work in a clinic, hospital, and any medical platform after going through this kind of externship.

A career as a student medical assistant-externship brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a medical laboratory assistant. In fact, student medical assistant-externships salary is $915 higher than the salary of medical laboratory assistants per year.A few skills overlap for medical laboratory assistants and student medical assistant-externships. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "patients," "data entry," and "venipuncture. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that medical laboratory assistant responsibilities requires skills like "customer service," "lab equipment," "patient care," and "specimen handling." But a student medical assistant-externship might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "surgery," "urinalysis," "phlebotomy," and "appointment scheduling."

In general, student medical assistant-externships achieve similar levels of education than medical laboratory assistants. They're 1.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Medical laboratory assistant vs. Medical assistant/phlebotomist

Medical assistants/phlebotomists are medical personnel who execute administrative and clinical tasks in healthcare facilities or units. They are responsible for providing healthcare to patients such as immunization administration, orthopedic supplies, and wound care. It is part of their job to take the blood of patients for blood testing. They also take charge of handling other medical tests for the upkeep of patients' health. These professionals should exhibit compatibility, initiative, and cohesiveness within the team.

On average scale, medical assistant/phlebotomists bring in lower salaries than medical laboratory assistants. In fact, they earn a $999 lower salary per year.By looking over several medical laboratory assistants and medical assistant/phlebotomists resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "patients," "customer service," and "patient care." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a medical laboratory assistant is likely to be skilled in "data entry," "lab equipment," "process specimens," and "lis," while a typical medical assistant/phlebotomist is skilled in "office procedures," "strong customer service," "perform ekg," and "urine analysis."

Medical assistant/phlebotomists earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $35,745. Comparatively, medical laboratory assistants have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $35,308.When it comes to education, medical assistant/phlebotomists tend to earn similar degree levels compared to medical laboratory assistants. In fact, they're 1.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Medical laboratory assistant vs. Laboratory aide

A laboratory aide is primarily responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and order in laboratories, all while performing support tasks for scientists. Their duties revolve around arranging specimens and samples, transporting materials from one laboratory to another, preparing apparatuses and machines, and storing them accordingly. A laboratory aide may also run errands, produce progress reports, sanitize areas and instruments, and properly dispose of chemicals and other hazardous waste. Furthermore, it is crucial to implement the laboratory's safety policies and regulations, ensuring a safe and healthy laboratory environment for everyone.

Laboratory aides typically earn lower pay than medical laboratory assistants. On average, laboratory aides earn a $6,590 lower salary per year.While both medical laboratory assistants and laboratory aides complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like patients, data entry, and lab equipment, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between medical laboratory assistants and laboratory aides, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a medical laboratory assistant might have more use for skills like "customer service," "venipuncture," "specimen collection," and "process specimens." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of laboratory aides require skills like "phlebotomy," "phone calls," "compassion," and "routine maintenance. "

Laboratory aides enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $31,856. For comparison, medical laboratory assistants earn the highest salary in the health care industry.The average resume of laboratory aides showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to medical laboratory assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.7%.

Types of medical laboratory assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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