Public health microbiologist vs clinical laboratory scientist

The differences between public health microbiologists and clinical 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 public health microbiologist and a clinical laboratory scientist. Additionally, a clinical laboratory scientist has an average salary of $67,900, which is higher than the $64,113 average annual salary of a public health microbiologist.

The top three skills for a public health microbiologist include extraction, quality control procedures and body fluids. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory scientist are patients, test results, and microbiology.

Public health microbiologist vs clinical laboratory scientist overview

	Public Health Microbiologist	Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Yearly salary	$64,113	$67,900
Hourly rate	$30.82	$32.64
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	65,489	133,838
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 90%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	40	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does a public health microbiologist do?

Public health administrators are like health administrators, except that their focus is on population health. When working at an office, outreach is a critical part of their work. They will need to interface with the community they serve. They travel outside of the office for fundraising, public speaking, and public engagement on a regular basis. Their responsibilities include developing community programs that improve public health, assessing community health issues, and creating budgets related to public health operations.

What does a clinical laboratory scientist do?

A Clinical Laboratory Scientist is responsible for performing laboratory tests that doctors count on to correctly diagnose and treat patients. They examine body fluids, tissues, and cells, identify infective microorganisms, and analyze the chemical constituents of body fluids.

Public health microbiologist vs clinical laboratory scientist salary

Public health microbiologists and clinical laboratory scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Health Microbiologist	Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Average salary	$64,113	$67,900
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $90,000	Between $46,000 And $99,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Westpac
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between public health microbiologist and clinical laboratory scientist education

There are a few differences between a public health microbiologist and a clinical laboratory scientist in terms of educational background:

	Public Health Microbiologist	Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 90%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Microbiology	Medical Technician
Most common college	Stanford University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Public health microbiologist vs clinical laboratory scientist demographics

Here are the differences between public health microbiologists' and clinical laboratory scientists' demographics:

	Public Health Microbiologist	Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Average age	40	44
Gender ratio	Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%	Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 15.4% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between public health microbiologist and clinical laboratory scientist duties and responsibilities

Public health microbiologist example responsibilities.

Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
Extract DNA from patient samples using complex laboratory equipment.
Perform high-complexity public health testing including ELISA, PCR, DFA/IFA, viral and bacterial cultures, serologies and drug susceptibilities.
Secure database entry within FDA compliance regulations and laboratory notebook entries.
Conduct biochemical assays including biochemical identification of microorganisms.
Conduct biochemical assays including biochemical identification of microorganisms.

Clinical laboratory scientist example responsibilities.

Analyze specimens in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, chemistry, toxicology, blood bank, and limit microbiology and serology.
Perform testing on donor and patient samples on platforms using methodologies including EIA, CLIA, and NAT (PCR).
Perform patient blood analysis, interpret serology, immunology and flowcytometry results.
Provide phlebotomy, specimen processing and laboratory testing for clinical trial studies.
Analyze specimens in areas of hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, and clinical chemistry within time constraints in a high-volume environment.
Perform microbiology, mycology and bacteriology

Public health microbiologist vs clinical laboratory scientist skills

Common public health microbiologist skills

Extraction, 17%
Quality Control Procedures, 16%
Body Fluids, 10%
Pathogens, 9%
Proficiency Testing, 6%
DNA, 6%

Common clinical laboratory scientist skills

Patients, 12%
Test Results, 8%
Microbiology, 7%
CLS, 7%
Hematology, 6%
ASCP, 6%

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Public Health Microbiologist vs Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

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