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The differences between medical laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory assistants 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 a clinical laboratory assistant. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $32,679 average annual salary of a clinical laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a medical laboratory technician include medical laboratory, patients and ASCP. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and clinical lab.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $51,780 | $32,679 |
| Hourly rate | $24.89 | $15.71 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 88,721 | 108,124 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| 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.
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 technicians and clinical laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $51,780 | $32,679 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $71,000 | Between $26,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | Roswell Park |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a medical laboratory technician and a clinical laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | New York University |
Here are the differences between medical laboratory technicians' and clinical laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% |
| 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, 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% |