Medical laboratory technician vs medical service technician

The differences between medical laboratory technicians and medical service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $37,943 average annual salary of a medical service technician.

The top three skills for a medical laboratory technician include medical laboratory, patients and ASCP. The most important skills for a medical service technician are patients, customer service, and vital signs.

Medical laboratory technician vs medical service technician overview

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Medical Service Technician
Yearly salary	$51,780	$37,943
Hourly rate	$24.89	$18.24
Growth rate	16%	7%
Number of jobs	88,721	189,362
Job satisfaction	3.33	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	44	36
Years of experience	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 medical service technician do?

A medical service technician provides health care and treatments to patients under the supervision or directives of a more experienced physician. Most of their responsibilities revolve around assessing a patient's condition, administering required aid, diagnosing patients, conducting check-ups, and counseling patients. There are also instances when a medical service technician may prescribe medications, conduct inspections at facilities to ensure sanitary conditions, and coordinate with hospital staff for requesting supplies. Furthermore, it is crucial to have accurate documentation of all processes and transactions, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and standards.

Medical laboratory technician vs medical service technician salary

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Medical Service Technician
Average salary	$51,780	$37,943
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $71,000	Between $23,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Salem, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Connecticut
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	Sunrise Systems
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical laboratory technician and medical service technician education

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Medical Service Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science	Nursing
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	University of Virginia

Medical laboratory technician vs medical service technician demographics

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Medical Service Technician
Average age	44	36
Gender ratio	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%	Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2%
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, 6.5% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between medical laboratory technician and medical service 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.

Medical service technician example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management for the purposes of meaningful use.
Administer and document vaccinations and perform strep tests, finger sticks, urinalysis, and various need lab tests.
Run QC on all lab instrumentation ensuring reports are within acceptable limits.
Keep track of all POC inventory, reagents, QC materials and equipment validations.
Apply cold packs to affect injuries of the patient, fit crutches on patients.
Maintain all training and CPR certifications in order to actively participate in codes with in the hospital.

Medical laboratory technician vs medical service technician skills

Common medical laboratory technician skills

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

Common medical service technician skills

Patients, 18%
Customer Service, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%
Infection Control, 5%
Phlebotomy, 4%
CPR, 4%

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Medical Laboratory Technician vs Medical Service Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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