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The differences between medical technologist-microbiologies and laboratory assistants 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-microbiology, becoming a laboratory assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical technologist-microbiology has an average salary of $55,441, which is higher than the $34,168 average annual salary of a laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a medical technologist-microbiology include ASCP, clinical laboratory and test results. The most important skills for a laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and customer service.
| Medical Technologist-Microbiology | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $55,441 | $34,168 |
| Hourly rate | $26.65 | $16.43 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 113,355 | 50,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A Medical Technologist-Microbiology helps in the detection and diagnosis of diseases and infections through appropriate laboratory analyses. They perform a wide range of virological, mycological, bacteriological, and parasitological tests to provide information on the causes and progress of diseases.
Laboratory assistants work for researchers, scientists, or professors in the laboratory setting. They are expected to have a solid background in the field of study of the laboratory they are assigned to. They do a variety of tasks in the laboratory, such as setting up equipment, observing experiments, analyzing results, creating reports, and recommending improvements to the testing. They may also be assigned to clean and sanitize laboratory equipment as needed. Laboratory assistants should have good research skills, analytical skills, and organizational skills.
Medical technologist-microbiologies and laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Technologist-Microbiology | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $55,441 | $34,168 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $75,000 | Between $26,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Methodist Health System | UST Global |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a medical technologist-microbiology and a laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Medical Technologist-Microbiology | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Medical Technician | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | New York University |
Here are the differences between medical technologist-microbiologies' and laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Medical Technologist-Microbiology | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.5% Female, 75.5% | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 13.9% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |