Medical laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician

The differences between medical laboratory technicians and clinical 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 a clinical laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $50,756 average annual salary of a clinical 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 technician are patients, test results, and patient care.

Medical laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician overview

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$51,780	$50,756
Hourly rate	$24.89	$24.40
Growth rate	16%	-
Number of jobs	88,721	119,050
Job satisfaction	3.33	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a medical laboratory technician do?

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.

What does a clinical laboratory technician do?

A clinical laboratory technician typically works under the direction of a physician or medical technologist to perform tests that will aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions and illnesses. You will perform various duties, including preparing samples for analysis, monitoring tests and procedures, and matching blood for transfusion. Additionally, you are expected to participate in staff training and educational opportunities and contribute to a secure and safe environment for patients, physicians, co-workers, and visitors. This role will also require ensuring that laboratory information remains confidential.

Medical laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician salary

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$51,780	$50,756
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $71,000	Between $36,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Stockton, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	Claxton Hepburn
Best paying industry	Health Care	Media

Differences between medical laboratory technician and clinical laboratory technician education

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science	Biology
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	New York University

Medical laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician demographics

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%	Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.9% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between medical laboratory technician and clinical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Medical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
Accomplish constant multitasking between phlebotomy, reception and lab on a daily basis while providing outstanding customer communication skills.
Conduct clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and specimen analysis in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, serology and immunology.
Experience in the areas of chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, coagulation and microbiology specimen preparation.
Serve as rotational general laboratory technician in urinalysis, serology, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, and shipping.
Pass and receive ASCP MLT certification upon graduation.

Clinical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Provide oversight of training and competency testing of technicians to ensure compliance with CLIA, HIPPA and OSHA guidelines.
Collect, process, and analyze clinical specimens for several departments including microbiology, chemistry, hematology, and urinalysis
Experience working in a hospital laboratory in automate chemistry, hematology, blood bank, urinalysis, and immunology departments.
Dispose of biohazard wastes according to OSHA standards ..
Screen blood products for pathogens and co-treatment success.

Medical laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician skills

Common medical laboratory technician skills

Medical Laboratory, 10%
Patients, 10%
ASCP, 9%
Clinical Laboratory, 8%
MLT, 6%
Patient Care, 4%

Common clinical laboratory technician skills

Patients, 16%
Test Results, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Hematology, 5%
Body Fluids, 4%
Proficiency Testing, 4%

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Medical Laboratory Technician vs Clinical Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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