Microbiology technician vs research technician

The differences between microbiology technicians and research 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 microbiology technician and a research technician. Additionally, a research technician has an average salary of $43,034, which is higher than the $40,084 average annual salary of a microbiology technician.

The top three skills for a microbiology technician include lab equipment, test results and laboratory procedures. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.

Microbiology technician vs research technician overview

	Microbiology Technician	Research Technician
Yearly salary	$40,084	$43,034
Hourly rate	$19.27	$20.69
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	25,704	64,786
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a microbiology technician do?

A Microbiology Technician helps microbiologists and other scientists conduct experiments and other tests. They usually work in labs and examine microscopic subjects, such as diseases, fungi, and algae.

What does a research technician do?

A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.

Microbiology technician vs research technician salary

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

	Microbiology Technician	Research Technician
Average salary	$40,084	$43,034
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $53,000	Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Central Islip, NY	Pasadena, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Connecticut
Best paying company	Thomas Jefferson University	GCP Applied Technologies
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between microbiology technician and research technician education

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

	Microbiology Technician	Research Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Microbiology technician vs research technician demographics

Here are the differences between microbiology technicians' and research technicians' demographics:

	Microbiology Technician	Research Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 40.8% Female, 59.2%	Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 14.1% White, 51.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between microbiology technician and research technician duties and responsibilities

Microbiology technician example responsibilities.

Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
Apply GMP and GLP documentation for all sample testing.
Prepare culture media, perform culture media QC test, and maintain appropriate inventory, perform growth promotion testing and sterility.
Quantify total aerobic plate count and total yeast and mold count.
Keep records of all tests in database and keep entries of QA checks.
Use of microscopes, autoclaves, carboys, manual and electric pipettes, etc.

Research technician example responsibilities.

Manage a DNA database and work with researchers to retrieve or send out samples and results.
Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
Prepare reagents for use in processing samples, DNA and RNA extractions, and QC.
Investigate and validate various acute phase protein assays as OA biomarkers in rodent animal models.
Perform DNA extraction and analysis for the purpose of identifying bacterial strand for waste stream characterization.
Extend course knowledge of CRISPR to experiment.

Microbiology technician vs research technician skills

Common microbiology technician skills

Lab Equipment, 10%
Test Results, 6%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%
Environmental Monitoring, 5%
Media Preparation, 5%
FDA, 4%

Common research technician skills

Patients, 9%
Data Collection, 6%
Cell Culture, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Research Projects, 4%
Lab Equipment, 3%

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Microbiology Technician
Microbiology Technician vs Research Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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