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The differences between pathological technicians and histologic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a pathological technician, becoming a histologic technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a pathological technician has an average salary of $50,684, which is higher than the $49,962 average annual salary of a histologic technician.
The top three skills for a pathological technician include clinical laboratory, patients and specimen handling. The most important skills for a histologic technician are ASCP, patients, and tissue specimens.
| Pathological Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $50,684 | $49,962 |
| Hourly rate | $24.37 | $24.02 |
| Growth rate | 1% | - |
| Number of jobs | 69,003 | 6,785 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Pathology technicians, or sometimes referred to as pathology assistants, are professionals who assist pathologists review specimens and tissue samples by utilizing microscopes and other complex lab equipment. These technicians are required to audit lab equipment in the inventory system and provide minor maintenance and calibrations on the lab equipment to avoid errors in test results. They are required to evaluate laboratory test results and record known control values from technical instruments to ensure reliability. Pathological technicians must also handle and organize blood samples taken for pharmacological studies.
A Histologic Technician prepares tissue specimens for routine and special procedures to confirm a patient diagnosis. They work in hospital laboratories, government agencies, public health departments, and other institutions.
Pathological technicians and histologic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pathological Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Average salary | $50,684 | $49,962 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $69,000 | Between $33,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Battelle | Battelle |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a pathological technician and a histologic technician in terms of educational background:
| Pathological Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between pathological technicians' and histologic technicians' demographics:
| Pathological Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.8% Female, 67.2% | Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.0% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |