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The differences between medical laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical laboratory technician, becoming a clinical laboratory scientist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical laboratory scientist has an average salary of $67,900, which is higher than the $51,780 average annual salary of a medical laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a medical laboratory technician include medical laboratory, patients and ASCP. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory scientist are patients, test results, and microbiology.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,780 | $67,900 |
| Hourly rate | $24.89 | $32.64 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 88,721 | 133,838 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.33 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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 Scientist is responsible for performing laboratory tests that doctors count on to correctly diagnose and treat patients. They examine body fluids, tissues, and cells, identify infective microorganisms, and analyze the chemical constituents of body fluids.
Medical laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Average salary | $51,780 | $67,900 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $71,000 | Between $46,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | Westpac |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical laboratory technician and a clinical laboratory scientist in terms of educational background:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | Medical Technician |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between medical laboratory technicians' and clinical laboratory scientists' demographics:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Clinical Laboratory Scientist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 15.4% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |