Microbiological laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician

The differences between microbiological laboratory technicians and research laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a microbiological laboratory technician and a research laboratory technician. Additionally, a microbiological laboratory technician has an average salary of $38,713, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research 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 research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.

Microbiological laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician overview

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$38,713	$38,308
Hourly rate	$18.61	$18.42
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	44,567	86,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

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 research laboratory technician do?

Research laboratory technicians play a vital role in scientific laboratories. They perform varied duties and responsibilities, which include setting up, operating, and maintaining the laboratory equipment, assisting in laboratory-based research activities such as sampling, testing, and analyzing results, and providing technical support to the laboratory team members. In addition, they are expected to support the development and advancement of science and modern medicine. Other typical duties of research laboratory technicians include preparing samples and specimens, keeping abreast with current technical developments, and ensuring strict compliance with safety procedures.

Microbiological laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician salary

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

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$38,713	$38,308
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $50,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Burlington, MA	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Illinois
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Accenture
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between microbiological laboratory technician and research laboratory technician education

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

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Microbiological laboratory technician vs research laboratory technician demographics

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

	Microbiological Laboratory Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between microbiological laboratory technician and research 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.

Research laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage RT-PCR screening of candidate genes.
Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Use many scientific techniques to collect and analyze RNA, DNA, and specific proteins from lines of potato plants.
Preform computational molecular simulation of DNA and RNA.
Retain patients from previous research projects and update database using patient histories and correlating pertinent medical data.
Work with non human primates in an HIV testing laboratory.

Microbiological laboratory technician vs research 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 research laboratory technician skills

Patients, 9%
Chemistry, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 7%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Data, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Microbiological Laboratory Technician
Microbiological Laboratory Technician vs Research Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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