Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between medical laboratory technicians and phlebotomy 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 phlebotomy technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $34,725 average annual salary of a phlebotomy technician.
The top three skills for a medical laboratory technician include medical laboratory, patients and ASCP. The most important skills for a phlebotomy technician are patients, infection control, and blood specimens.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $51,780 | $34,725 |
| Hourly rate | $24.89 | $16.69 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 88,721 | 107,110 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 18% |
| 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 phlebotomy technician is responsible for conducting the medical procedure of drawing blood samples using extraction tools and other equipment. Phlebotomy technicians label the samples for laboratory examinations, donation testing, and other related purposes. They also inspect and maintain the cleanliness of medical equipment, including sterilization of needles and other tools, to avoid contamination that would affect the accuracy of the results. A phlebotomy technician records fluid tests and procedures for reference and patient examination history.
Medical laboratory technicians and phlebotomy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Average salary | $51,780 | $34,725 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $71,000 | Between $26,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a medical laboratory technician and a phlebotomy technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 55% | Associate Degree, 18% |
| Most common major | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between medical laboratory technicians' and phlebotomy technicians' demographics:
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Phlebotomy Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% | Male, 16.3% Female, 83.7% |
| 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, 11.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |