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Medical technologist vs histologic technician

The differences between medical technologists and histologic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a medical technologist and a histologic technician. Additionally, a medical technologist has an average salary of $53,249, which is higher than the $49,962 average annual salary of a histologic technician.

The top three skills for a medical technologist include patients, clinical laboratory and ASCP. The most important skills for a histologic technician are ASCP, patients, and tissue specimens.

Medical technologist vs histologic technician overview

Medical TechnologistHistologic Technician
Yearly salary$53,249$49,962
Hourly rate$25.60$24.02
Growth rate--
Number of jobs116,4956,785
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a medical technologist do?

A medical technologist's role is to conduct laboratory tests with accuracy and speed. It is their responsibility to gather, prepare, and analyze samples such as blood, tissues, and bodily fluid. The produced results will be crucial to a patient's diagnosis and further treatments. It is also essential for medical technologists to keep a precise record of data and coordinate with fellow team members and physicians to ensure the fast and efficient delivery of results. Furthermore, a medical technologist can choose to work in different establishments such as a hospital, laboratory, or private clinic.

What does a histologic technician do?

A Histologic Technician prepares tissue specimens for routine and special procedures to confirm a patient diagnosis. They work in hospital laboratories, government agencies, public health departments, and other institutions.

Medical technologist vs histologic technician salary

Medical technologists and histologic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Medical TechnologistHistologic Technician
Average salary$53,249$49,962
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $68,000Between $33,000 And $75,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WASacramento, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaAlaska
Best paying companyChildren's Hospital ColoradoBattelle
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between medical technologist and histologic technician education

There are a few differences between a medical technologist and a histologic technician in terms of educational background:

Medical TechnologistHistologic Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianBiology
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillStanford University

Medical technologist vs histologic technician demographics

Here are the differences between medical technologists' and histologic technicians' demographics:

Medical TechnologistHistologic Technician
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 31.5% Female, 68.5%Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between medical technologist and histologic technician duties and responsibilities

Medical technologist example responsibilities.

  • Manage departmental recovery activities after installation of upgrades affecting the LIS affect.
  • Perform medical/laboratory procedures in all departments including microbiology, chemistry, blood bank, hematology, urinalysis, and immunology.
  • Perform laboratory test to corporal fluids applying analysis fields like biochemistry, microbiology, hematology, immunology, urinalysis and blood bank
  • Execute and analyze laboratory test in biochemistry, urinalysis, hematology, microbiology, blood bank and serology department.
  • Direct participation on proficiency testing programs on hematology, chemistry, urinalysis, blood bank, serology, and bacteriology.
  • Work full-time as an evening/night shift generalist rotating through hematology, urinalysis, serology, chemistry, blood bank and microbiology.
  • Show more

Histologic technician example responsibilities.

  • Perform routine histology/cytology procedures and IHC and manage 7-20 staff members.
  • Develop and implement health and safety protocols and procedures in accordance with CLIA and OSHA regulations
  • Develop a higher grade eosin for stainline.
  • Enter patient specimens into the EMR system/file patient records.
  • Cut all control slides for research and run all immunofluorescence slides.
  • Perform processing, embedding, microtomy, cryostating, routine and special stains.
  • Show more

Medical technologist vs histologic technician skills

Common medical technologist skills
  • Patients, 10%
  • Clinical Laboratory, 8%
  • ASCP, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Microbiology, 4%
Common histologic technician skills
  • ASCP, 15%
  • Patients, 12%
  • Tissue Specimens, 5%
  • CLIA, 4%
  • IHC, 4%
  • Sectioning, 4%

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