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The differences between medical technologist leads and medical laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical technologist lead, becoming a medical laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical technologist lead has an average salary of $68,094, which is higher than the $51,780 average annual salary of a medical laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a medical technologist lead include patients, clinical laboratory and proficiency testing. The most important skills for a medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.
| Medical Technologist Lead | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $68,094 | $51,780 |
| Hourly rate | $32.74 | $24.89 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 125,848 | 88,721 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A Medical Technologist Lead oversees the daily operational activities and functions of a clinical laboratory. They ensure quality patient care in accordance with established professional, regulatory, and governmental standards.
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.
Medical technologist leads and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Technologist Lead | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $68,094 | $51,780 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $107,000 | Between $37,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Southampton, NY | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical technologist lead and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Technologist Lead | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between medical technologist leads' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Medical Technologist Lead | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.2% Female, 66.8% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |