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What does a quality laboratory technician do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.
What does a quality laboratory technician do

A Quality Laboratory Technician ensures that lab procedures and equipment meet a certain standard, as well as monitors production. They maintain quality service and a safe and healthy work environment through following organization standards.

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Quality laboratory technician responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real quality laboratory technician resumes:

  • Manage CAPA projects/assignments using CATSWeb system.
  • Perform tests on raw ingredients, ration and finish product of dry pet foods using GMP and HACCP practices.
  • Perform quality control testing on refrigerant gases utilizing gas chromatography
  • Conduct rigorous quality control analyses using gas chromatography to verify product purity.
  • Measure parts for conformity with specifications, using micrometers, calipers and other precision instruments.
  • Follow good laboratory practices and ensure HACCP plans are being follow.
  • Perform test to investigate people's reactions to various products not approve by the FDA.
  • Support client audits and regulatory inspections such as the FDA, TGA, and others.
  • Perform required HACCP checks twice a shift for all packing metal detector and whenever adjustments are made.
  • Conduct calibration and maintain records on all precise measurement equipment within the company in accordance with ISO standards.
  • Perform microbiological testing on blends and finish products through plating (use of SPC, VRB, and PDA agar).
  • Perform dimensional data collection for SPC analysis.
  • Perform GMP compliant method validations and instrument validations.
  • Evaluate, troubleshoot and disposition any return computers.
  • Perform viscosity and density tests on incoming raw materials.

Quality laboratory technician skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Quality Laboratory Technicians are proficient in Lab Equipment, Quality Lab, and Test Results. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Math skills, and Observational skills.

We break down the percentage of Quality Laboratory Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Lab Equipment, 10%

    Developed standard operating procedures through tutorials/instructions/assistance for Quality Food lab equipment and computer software.

  • Quality Lab, 8%

    Establish and maintain Lab operational procedures and work instructions for the Quality Laboratory.

  • Test Results, 5%

    Report test results to production manager and quality coordinator with recommended corrective action such as machine adjustments.

  • Food Safety, 5%

    Completed microbiological and pathogen analysis of ingredients and finished products to ensure food safety.

  • GMP, 4%

    Communicate and educate other associates on:Safety, Food Quality, GMP's and other rules and regulations.

  • Laboratory Procedures, 4%

    Train laboratory personnel in laboratory procedures and safety policies.

Most quality laboratory technicians use their skills in "lab equipment," "quality lab," and "test results" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential quality laboratory technician responsibilities here:

Detail oriented. One of the key soft skills for a quality laboratory technician to have is detail oriented. You can see how this relates to what quality laboratory technicians do because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must record precisely what they measure and observe." Additionally, a quality laboratory technician resume shows how quality laboratory technicians use detail oriented: "detail reading of cmm reports and prints ensuring parts were kept within tolerance or (specification). "

Math skills. Many quality laboratory technician duties rely on math skills. "industrial engineering technologists and technicians use mathematics and statistical techniques to analyze data collected from studies.," so a quality laboratory technician will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways quality laboratory technician responsibilities rely on math skills: "operated under qs and iso quality standards and in-house specifications performed variety of quantitative physical and chemical analyses of materials"

Observational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of quality laboratory technicians is observational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday quality laboratory technician duties, as "industrial engineering technologists and technicians closely watch the performance of people or organizations so that they can suggest improvements." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "wet chemistry and observational tests were also a skill needed to preform the job. "

Analytical skills. quality laboratory technician responsibilities often require "analytical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "industrial engineering technologists and technicians assess changes in conditions, operations, and the environment to help industrial engineers figure out how systems should work." This resume example shows what quality laboratory technicians do with analytical skills on a typical day: "analyze food products in accordance with the fda laws. "

Communication skills. A commonly-found skill in quality laboratory technician job descriptions, "communication skills" is essential to what quality laboratory technicians do. Quality laboratory technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "industrial engineering technologists and technicians must listen carefully to instructions from engineers and must clearly articulate problems to their supervisors." You can also see how quality laboratory technician duties rely on communication skills in this resume example: "assist production supervision with communication, cooperation and teamwork at all times to assure product quality and customer satisfaction. "

All quality laboratory technician skills

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Compare different quality laboratory technicians

Quality laboratory technician vs. Engineering assistant

An engineering assistant is responsible for supporting the engineering department's operations under the supervision of a head engineer. Engineering assistants help with operating tools and equipment, developing and analyzing designs, communicating with clients by responding to their inquiries and concerns, creating project plans, and identifying business opportunities to generate revenues and increase profitability. An engineering assistant must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and processes to carry out tasks within strict deadlines and under minimal supervision.

The annual salary of engineering assistants is $25,500 higher than the average salary of quality laboratory technicians.Even though quality laboratory technicians and engineering assistants are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require test results, fda, and iso in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between quality laboratory technicians and engineering assistant. For instance, quality laboratory technician responsibilities require skills such as "lab equipment," "quality lab," "food safety," and "gmp." Whereas a engineering assistant is skilled in "c++," "html css," "worksheets," and "java." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Engineering assistants tend to make the most money working in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $79,013. In contrast, quality laboratory technicians make the biggest average salary, $38,772, in the manufacturing industry.engineering assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than quality laboratory technicians. In fact, engineering assistants are 2.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Quality laboratory technician vs. Quality control supervisor

A quality control supervisor specializes in carrying out and implementing systems and procedures that ensure product quality within an organization. They are primarily responsible for devising priorities and standards, managing schedules to abide by the production timeline, monitoring activities, coordinating with production and quality control personnel, assessing employee performance, and thoroughly discussing new systems for all staff. There are also instances when a quality control supervisor must perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and assessments, responding to calls and correspondence, even disseminating notices.

A career as a quality control supervisor brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a quality laboratory technician. In fact, quality control supervisors salary is $25,028 higher than the salary of quality laboratory technicians per year.A few skills overlap for quality laboratory technicians and quality control supervisors. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "lab equipment," "test results," and "food safety. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, quality laboratory technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "quality lab," "laboratory procedures," "data entry," and "ph meter." Meanwhile, a quality control supervisor has duties that require skills in areas such as "safety procedures," "continuous improvement," "capa," and "process control." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Quality control supervisors may earn a higher salary than quality laboratory technicians, but quality control supervisors earn the most pay in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $74,165. On the other hand, quality laboratory technicians receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,772.In general, quality control supervisors achieve similar levels of education than quality laboratory technicians. They're 2.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for quality laboratory technicians in the next 3-5 years?

Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Biological Sciences (Emeritus) & Teaching & Learning Consultant, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

-In any STEM field, predicting, recognizing, and fighting climate change looms large. In the life sciences, detecting the effects of environmental change at the species, individual, cellular, and molecular level will be increasingly necessary.
-Medical science will need to respond to new challenges arising out of climate change and the aging population. Supported (as always) by basic sciences, medical science will focus on big-picture biology, represented by the ever-growing number of "...omics". These include genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics... and the enabling technologies that let us look at a lot of genes, gene products, and biochemical reactions at the same time. Finally, the ever-improving gene-editing technologies can lead to the treatment of disease, leading to a greater understanding of the disease and biological process in general.

Quality laboratory technician vs. Quality engineer

A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.

An average quality engineer eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of quality laboratory technicians. The difference in salaries amounts to quality engineers earning a $40,770 higher average salary than quality laboratory technicians.Using the responsibilities included on quality laboratory technicians and quality engineers resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "fda," "iso," and "r.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, quality laboratory technicians are more likely to have skills like "lab equipment," "quality lab," "test results," and "food safety." But a quality engineer is more likely to have skills like "continuous improvement," "sigma," "quality system," and "process control."

Quality engineers make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $84,890. On the other hand, quality laboratory technicians are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $38,772.When it comes to education, quality engineers tend to earn higher degree levels compared to quality laboratory technicians. In fact, they're 9.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Quality laboratory technician vs. Process engineering technician

A process engineering technician typically works at manufacturing facilities where they are in charge of providing technical support to engineers in an effort to optimize production operations. Their responsibilities usually include performing installations and adjustments, developing and implementing test structures, understanding blueprints and schematics, replacing components, troubleshooting problems, recommending solutions, and repairing parts as needed. A process engineering technician typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

Process engineering technicians average a higher salary than the annual salary of quality laboratory technicians. The difference is about $45,710 per year.While both quality laboratory technicians and process engineering technicians complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like gmp, fda, and iso, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "lab equipment," "quality lab," "test results," and "food safety" are skills that commonly show up on quality laboratory technician resumes. On the other hand, process engineering technicians use skills like process engineering, continuous improvement, process improvement, and process equipment on their resumes.The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for process engineering technicians, with average annual pay of $92,986. Comparatively, the highest quality laboratory technician annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry.The average resume of process engineering technicians showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to quality laboratory technicians. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.8%.

Types of quality laboratory technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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