Medical laboratory technician vs nurse

The differences between medical laboratory technicians and nurses 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 nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, 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 nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Medical laboratory technician vs nurse overview

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Nurse
Yearly salary	$51,780	$57,564
Hourly rate	$24.89	$27.68
Growth rate	16%	6%
Number of jobs	88,721	696,124
Job satisfaction	3.33	4
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	2

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 nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Medical laboratory technician vs nurse salary

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Nurse
Average salary	$51,780	$57,564
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $71,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	Conviva
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between medical laboratory technician and nurse education

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science	Nursing
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	Duke University

Medical laboratory technician vs nurse demographics

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

	Medical Laboratory Technician	Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	9%

Differences between medical laboratory technician and nurse 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.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Medical laboratory technician vs nurse skills

Common medical laboratory technician skills

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

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

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Medical Laboratory Technician
Medical Laboratory Technician vs Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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