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The differences between medical laboratory scientists and laboratory technicians 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 laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical laboratory scientist has an average salary of $54,377, which is higher than the $40,038 average annual salary of a laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a medical laboratory scientist include patients, ASCP and clinical laboratory. The most important skills for a laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $54,377 | $40,038 |
| Hourly rate | $26.14 | $19.25 |
| Growth rate | - | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 121,913 | 84,357 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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.
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.
Medical laboratory scientists and laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $54,377 | $40,038 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $71,000 | Between $27,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Eli Lilly and Company | Tenaska |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical laboratory scientist and a laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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 laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3% | Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7% |
| 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |