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The differences between medical laboratory scientists and clinical laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical laboratory scientist, becoming a clinical laboratory assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical laboratory scientist has an average salary of $54,377, which is higher than the $32,679 average annual salary of a clinical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a medical laboratory scientist include patients, ASCP and clinical laboratory. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and clinical lab.
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $54,377 | $32,679 |
| Hourly rate | $26.14 | $15.71 |
| Growth rate | - | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 121,913 | 108,124 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
As a medical laboratory scientist, you will be responsible for analyzing various types of body specimens, including blood, tissue, and urine. You will conduct scientific testing on samples and report the results to physicians. These results play an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions or illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Your duties and responsibilities may include maintaining laboratory equipment such as microscopes and cell counters, tracking patient outcomes, and conducting differential cell counts. You are also expected to oversee the work of laboratory technicians.
A clinical laboratory assistant specializes in performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar setting using their in-depth knowledge. They are primarily responsible for assisting researchers, preparing samples and apparatus, conducting experiments and analysis, maintaining extensive documentation of all processes and results, and reporting to management. Moreover, a clinical laboratory assistant is also responsible for gathering necessary information before beginning studies and maintaining the laboratory's cleanliness and sanitation. It is vital to implement all the safety rules and regulations to ensure a safe and productive work environment.
Medical laboratory scientists and clinical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $54,377 | $32,679 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $71,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Eli Lilly and Company | Roswell Park |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a medical laboratory scientist and a clinical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | Biology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | New York University |
Here are the differences between medical laboratory scientists' and clinical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.7% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.1% White, 54.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |