Microbiological laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician

The differences between microbiological laboratory technicians and lead laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a microbiological laboratory technician, becoming a lead laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead laboratory technician has an average salary of $54,230, which is higher than the $38,713 average annual salary of a microbiological laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a microbiological laboratory technician include microbiology lab, laboratory procedures and aseptic technique. The most important skills for a lead laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.

Microbiological laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician overview

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$38,713	$54,230
Hourly rate	$18.61	$26.07
Growth rate	9%	3%
Number of jobs	44,567	77,096
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	4	12

What does a microbiological laboratory technician do?

A microbiological laboratory technician specializes in handling and testing samples, ensuring accuracy and safety. Often working under the supervision of a more experienced scientist, a microbiological laboratory technician has the responsibility to operate various devices and machines, record all progress and data, review results, and produce reports and documentation. There are also instances when a technician must submit results within deadlines or follow a senior scientist's directives. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to the safety policies and rules of the laboratory at all times.

What does a lead laboratory technician do?

A Lead Laboratory Technician coordinates the operations of a laboratory. They supervise the preparation of specimens for tests, collection of blood, examination of blood samples, and other duties performed by the technician team.

Microbiological laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician salary

Microbiological laboratory technicians and lead laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$38,713	$54,230
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $50,000	Between $33,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Burlington, MA	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between microbiological laboratory technician and lead laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a microbiological laboratory technician and a lead laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	New York University

Microbiological laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between microbiological laboratory technicians' and lead laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 15.2% White, 51.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between microbiological laboratory technician and lead laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Microbiological laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
Interpret titration curves, nmr graphs, IR spectroscopy and GC graphs.
Prepare bacterial, fungus and yeast cell cultures used for GLP testing under FDA/EPA guidelines.
contract )--cut fabric for testing--run Laund-Orometer--ICP, AA, titration
Conduct schedule preventive maintenance and calibration of equipment (i.e., GC/MS, HPLC, GPC, pH meter).
Test in-house USP water samples for microbiological contamination.

Lead laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments.
Assist with FDA and OSHA audits, coordinate the center for all audits and inspections.
Accession patient information, doctor information, and testing information accurately and promptly into the NovoPath LIS system.
Develop and execute IQ/OQ/PQ at manufacturing site.
Maintain, troubleshoot, verify and calibrate laboratory equipment.

Microbiological laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician skills

Common microbiological laboratory technician skills

Microbiology Lab, 9%
Laboratory Procedures, 7%
Aseptic Technique, 6%
Lab Equipment, 6%
Food Safety, 6%
Test Results, 5%

Common lead laboratory technician skills

Patients, 12%
Lab Equipment, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Ongoing Maintenance, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Chemistry, 4%

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Microbiological Laboratory Technician
Microbiological Laboratory Technician vs Lead Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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