Molecular laboratory technologist vs medical laboratory scientist

The differences between molecular laboratory technologists and medical laboratory scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a molecular laboratory technologist and a medical laboratory scientist. Additionally, a medical laboratory scientist has an average salary of $54,377, which is higher than the $51,239 average annual salary of a molecular laboratory technologist.

The top three skills for a molecular laboratory technologist include next-generation sequencing, clinical laboratory and molecular biology. The most important skills for a medical laboratory scientist are patients, ASCP, and clinical laboratory.

Molecular laboratory technologist vs medical laboratory scientist overview

	Molecular Laboratory Technologist	Medical Laboratory Scientist
Yearly salary	$51,239	$54,377
Hourly rate	$24.63	$26.14
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	86,280	121,913
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does a molecular laboratory technologist do?

A molecular laboratory technologist performs a number of duties to analyze samples in a laboratory setting. Their duties in this position are to collect samples for research, test specimens with a variety of equipment, and study how clinical drugs affect the samples. They are also responsible for maintaining data analysis records, troubleshooting issues, and preparing lab equipment. This position requires advanced education training in molecular biology.

What does a medical laboratory scientist do?

As a medical laboratory scientist, you will be responsible for analyzing various types of body specimens, including blood, tissue, and urine. You will conduct scientific testing on samples and report the results to physicians. These results play an essential role in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions or illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Your duties and responsibilities may include maintaining laboratory equipment such as microscopes and cell counters, tracking patient outcomes, and conducting differential cell counts. You are also expected to oversee the work of laboratory technicians.

Molecular laboratory technologist vs medical laboratory scientist salary

Molecular laboratory technologists and medical laboratory scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Molecular Laboratory Technologist	Medical Laboratory Scientist
Average salary	$51,239	$54,377
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $69,000	Between $41,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	Reno, NV
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Eli Lilly and Company
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between molecular laboratory technologist and medical laboratory scientist education

There are a few differences between a molecular laboratory technologist and a medical laboratory scientist in terms of educational background:

	Molecular Laboratory Technologist	Medical Laboratory Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Biology	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Molecular laboratory technologist vs medical laboratory scientist demographics

Here are the differences between molecular laboratory technologists' and medical laboratory scientists' demographics:

	Molecular Laboratory Technologist	Medical Laboratory Scientist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 14.1% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.7% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between molecular laboratory technologist and medical laboratory scientist duties and responsibilities

Molecular laboratory technologist example responsibilities.

Operate and manage standard quality control on laboratory equipment as well as some specialize equipment for serology studies.
Perform routine clinical tests on several enzymatic tests for galactosemia disease using paper chromatography - radiation imaging detection, spectrophotometry.
Interview and hire new employees.verse in HIPAA regulations to protect patient confidentiality.

Medical laboratory scientist example responsibilities.

Attain extensive phlebotomy experience with a challenging pediatric patient population.
Perform complex laboratory diagnostic tests as medical laboratory scientist in hematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, urinalysis and blood bank.
Evaluate quality control within the laboratory using standard laboratory test and measurement controls while maintaining compliance with CLIA and OSHA.
Execute and analyze test in areas including, hematology, urinalysis, serology, bacteriology, chemistry and transfusion services.
Assist in Cerner LIS system implementation and resource as super user.
Experience in immunology, infectious disease testing, and therapeutic drug monitoring.

Molecular laboratory technologist vs medical laboratory scientist skills

Common molecular laboratory technologist skills

Next-Generation Sequencing, 18%
Clinical Laboratory, 11%
Molecular Biology, 7%
Control Procedures, 7%
Extraction, 6%
Sops, 6%

Common medical laboratory scientist skills

Patients, 13%
ASCP, 11%
Clinical Laboratory, 10%
MLS, 8%
Proficiency Testing, 5%
Patient Care, 4%

Molecular Laboratory Technologist vs. similar jobs

Molecular Laboratory Technologist related careers

Molecular Laboratory Technologist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Molecular Laboratory Technologist
Molecular Laboratory Technologist vs Medical Laboratory Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs