Medical laboratory scientist vs technician

The differences between medical laboratory scientists and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a medical laboratory scientist and a technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory scientist has an average salary of $54,377, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

The top three skills for a medical laboratory scientist include patients, ASCP and clinical laboratory. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Medical laboratory scientist vs technician overview

	Medical Laboratory Scientist	Technician
Yearly salary	$54,377	$38,045
Hourly rate	$26.14	$18.29
Growth rate	-	1%
Number of jobs	121,913	596,842
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	44	40
Years of experience	2	2

What does a medical laboratory scientist do?

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.

What does a technician do?

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.

Medical laboratory scientist vs technician salary

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

	Medical Laboratory Scientist	Technician
Average salary	$54,377	$38,045
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $71,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Reno, NV	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	Eli Lilly and Company	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Health Care	Telecommunication

Differences between medical laboratory scientist and technician education

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

	Medical Laboratory Scientist	Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science	Business
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	-

Medical laboratory scientist vs technician demographics

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

	Medical Laboratory Scientist	Technician
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
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, 9.4% 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%

Differences between medical laboratory scientist and technician duties and responsibilities

Medical laboratory scientist example responsibilities.

Attain extensive phlebotomy experience with a challenging pediatric patient population.
Perform complex laboratory diagnostic tests as medical laboratory scientist in hematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, urinalysis and blood bank.
Evaluate quality control within the laboratory using standard laboratory test and measurement controls while maintaining compliance with CLIA and OSHA.
Execute and analyze test in areas including, hematology, urinalysis, serology, bacteriology, chemistry and transfusion services.
Assist in Cerner LIS system implementation and resource as super user.
Experience in immunology, infectious disease testing, and therapeutic drug monitoring.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Medical laboratory scientist vs technician skills

Common medical laboratory scientist skills

Patients, 13%
ASCP, 11%
Clinical Laboratory, 10%
MLS, 8%
Proficiency Testing, 5%
Patient Care, 4%

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Medical Laboratory Scientist
Medical Laboratory Scientist vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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