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The differences between microbiology laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians 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 medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, 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 medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,736 | $51,780 |
| Hourly rate | $15.74 | $24.89 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 49,910 | 88,721 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| 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.
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.
Microbiology laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,736 | $51,780 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $48,000 | Between $37,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a microbiology laboratory assistant and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Biology | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between microbiology laboratory assistants' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Microbiology Laboratory Assistant | 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, 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, 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% |