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The differences between microbiology laboratory assistants and laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a microbiology laboratory assistant and a laboratory assistant. Additionally, a laboratory assistant has an average salary of $34,168, which is higher than the $32,736 average annual salary of a microbiology laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a microbiology laboratory assistant include patients, lab equipment and data entry. The most important skills for a laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and customer service.
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $32,736 | $34,168 |
| Hourly rate | $15.74 | $16.43 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 49,910 | 50,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Microbiology Laboratory Assistants are responsible for assisting laboratory technicians with sample preparation and workplace maintenance in the area of microbiology. Their duties include preparing samples for testing, maintaining laboratory inventory, reporting inventory shortages, and producing inventory reports. Besides that, they are involved in organizing laboratory areas, sterilizing laboratory equipment, and maintain testings log. Microbiology Laboratory Assistants also assist in equipment set up, results analysis, and sample classification. They continuously ensure the operational environment complies with health and safety standards.
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.
Microbiology laboratory assistants and laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $32,736 | $34,168 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $48,000 | Between $26,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | UST Global |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a microbiology laboratory assistant and a laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between microbiology laboratory assistants' and laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.2% Female, 66.8% | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.2% White, 54.8% 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% |