Research laboratory technician vs laboratory researcher

The differences between research laboratory technicians and laboratory researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a research laboratory technician and a laboratory researcher. Additionally, a research laboratory technician has an average salary of $38,308, which is higher than the $27,760 average annual salary of a laboratory researcher.

The top three skills for a research laboratory technician include patients, chemistry and laboratory equipment. The most important skills for a laboratory researcher are lab procedures, cell culture, and molecular biology.

Research laboratory technician vs laboratory researcher overview

	Research Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Yearly salary	$38,308	$27,760
Hourly rate	$18.42	$13.35
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	86,476	57,359
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	40	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a research laboratory technician do?

Research laboratory technicians play a vital role in scientific laboratories. They perform varied duties and responsibilities, which include setting up, operating, and maintaining the laboratory equipment, assisting in laboratory-based research activities such as sampling, testing, and analyzing results, and providing technical support to the laboratory team members. In addition, they are expected to support the development and advancement of science and modern medicine. Other typical duties of research laboratory technicians include preparing samples and specimens, keeping abreast with current technical developments, and ensuring strict compliance with safety procedures.

What does a laboratory researcher do?

Laboratory researchers are professionals who manage a research laboratory while performing cellular and biochemical experiments with the primary researcher. These researchers must work with hazardous chemicals and should show expertise in handling lab equipment such as glassware and field equipment. They are required to assist with research projects and interpret the test data of an experiment. They must manage the order of all lab equipment by filling up the purchase requisition forms. Laboratory researchers are required to work with students in all aspects of laboratory research.

Research laboratory technician vs laboratory researcher salary

Research laboratory technicians and laboratory researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Average salary	$38,308	$27,760
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $48,000	Between $17,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Chicago, IL	New Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying state	Illinois	Maine
Best paying company	Accenture	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Education

Differences between research laboratory technician and laboratory researcher education

There are a few differences between a research laboratory technician and a laboratory researcher in terms of educational background:

	Research Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Duke University

Research laboratory technician vs laboratory researcher demographics

Here are the differences between research laboratory technicians' and laboratory researchers' demographics:

	Research Laboratory Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Average age	40	41
Gender ratio	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%	Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between research laboratory technician and laboratory researcher duties and responsibilities

Research laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage RT-PCR screening of candidate genes.
Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Use many scientific techniques to collect and analyze RNA, DNA, and specific proteins from lines of potato plants.
Preform computational molecular simulation of DNA and RNA.
Retain patients from previous research projects and update database using patient histories and correlating pertinent medical data.
Work with non human primates in an HIV testing laboratory.

Laboratory researcher example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Plan to create apparatus and experimental procedure to enable selective extraction of DNA using surface chemistry.
Experience in conducting gel electrophoresis procedures.
Gel electrophoresis are used to analyze banding patterns.
Specialize in design and implementation of ELISA's for vaccine.
Analyze samples with advance instrumentation, including HPLC and UV-visible spectroscopy.

Research laboratory technician vs laboratory researcher skills

Common research laboratory technician skills

Patients, 9%
Chemistry, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 7%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Data, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

Common laboratory researcher skills

Lab Procedures, 10%
Cell Culture, 7%
Molecular Biology, 6%
PCR, 6%
Chemistry, 5%
R, 4%

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Research Laboratory Technician
Research Laboratory Technician vs Laboratory Researcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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