Orthodontic laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician

The differences between orthodontic laboratory technicians and clinical 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 an orthodontic laboratory technician and a clinical laboratory technician. Additionally, a clinical laboratory technician has an average salary of $50,756, which is higher than the $33,152 average annual salary of an orthodontic laboratory technician.

The top three skills for an orthodontic laboratory technician include study models, splints and front desk. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory technician are patients, test results, and patient care.

Orthodontic laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician overview

	Orthodontic Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$33,152	$50,756
Hourly rate	$15.94	$24.40
Growth rate	2%	-
Number of jobs	41,955	119,050
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

Orthodontic laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician salary

Orthodontic laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Orthodontic Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$33,152	$50,756
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $47,000	Between $36,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	Stockton, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Claxton Hepburn
Best paying industry	-	Media

Differences between orthodontic laboratory technician and clinical laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between an orthodontic laboratory technician and a clinical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Orthodontic Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	General Studies	Biology
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	New York University

Orthodontic laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between orthodontic laboratory technicians' and clinical laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Orthodontic Laboratory Technician	Clinical Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6%	Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 11.4% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.9% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between orthodontic laboratory technician and clinical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Orthodontic laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
Place wires, mods, orms, assist with productions (bands, brackets, headgear).
Perform immunological, chemical, microbiological, and hematological tests, critically examine results for accuracy, troubleshoot discrepancies.
Prepare PowerPoint presentations of quality chromosome spread images, used to determine variability in count and morphology.

Clinical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Provide oversight of training and competency testing of technicians to ensure compliance with CLIA, HIPPA and OSHA guidelines.
Collect, process, and analyze clinical specimens for several departments including microbiology, chemistry, hematology, and urinalysis
Experience working in a hospital laboratory in automate chemistry, hematology, blood bank, urinalysis, and immunology departments.
Dispose of biohazard wastes according to OSHA standards ..
Screen blood products for pathogens and co-treatment success.

Orthodontic laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician skills

Common orthodontic laboratory technician skills

Study Models, 25%
Splints, 19%
Front Desk, 12%
Orthodontic Appliances, 11%
Chair Side, 9%
RPE, 9%

Common clinical laboratory technician skills

Patients, 16%
Test Results, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Hematology, 5%
Body Fluids, 4%
Proficiency Testing, 4%

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Orthodontic Laboratory Technician
Orthodontic Laboratory Technician vs Clinical Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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