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The differences between medical laboratory technicians and assistant 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 laboratory technician and an assistant laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $35,556 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a medical laboratory technician include medical laboratory, patients and ASCP. The most important skills for an assistant laboratory technician are patients, ladders, and computer lab.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,780 | $35,556 |
| Hourly rate | $24.89 | $17.09 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 88,721 | 116,488 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A medical laboratory technician is responsible for assisting medical health professionals in conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and provide treatments. Medical laboratory technicians ensure the sanitation of all the tools and equipment before conducting tests. They collect adequate blood samples and specimens, analyze fluid elements, utilize laboratory equipment safely, create reports of findings, and alert medical personnel and medical technologists of emergency conditions. A medical laboratory technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry disciplines and processes to perform sensitive tasks and release accurate medical results.
The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.
Medical laboratory technicians and assistant laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,780 | $35,556 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $71,000 | Between $21,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Manchester, NH |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | Patterson-UTI Energy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a medical laboratory technician and an assistant laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between medical laboratory technicians' and assistant laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |