Research microbiologist vs research laboratory technician

The differences between research microbiologists and research laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a research microbiologist, becoming a research laboratory technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a research microbiologist has an average salary of $70,894, which is higher than the $38,308 average annual salary of a research laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a research microbiologist include R, lab equipment and chemistry. The most important skills for a research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.

Research microbiologist vs research laboratory technician overview

	Research Microbiologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$70,894	$38,308
Hourly rate	$34.08	$18.42
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	47,374	86,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	2	4

Research microbiologist vs research laboratory technician salary

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

	Research Microbiologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$70,894	$38,308
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $102,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	Virginia	Illinois
Best paying company	Randstad North America, Inc.	Accenture
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between research microbiologist and research laboratory technician education

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

	Research Microbiologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	Cornell University

Research microbiologist vs research laboratory technician demographics

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

	Research Microbiologist	Research Laboratory Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 15.6% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	6%

Differences between research microbiologist and research laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Research microbiologist example responsibilities.

Job duties begin in a general microbiology/ infectious disease laboratory focuse on cultivating and managing infectious strains of microbes.
Design and conduct testing require for surgical medical devices and pharmaceuticals by FDA and EPA.
Complete media preparation and QC.
Participate in the company's quality program according to GMP and ISO requirements.
Perform QC review on all outgoing reports.
Perform analysis relate to the application of DNA sequencing.

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.

Research microbiologist vs research laboratory technician skills

Common research microbiologist skills

R, 13%
Lab Equipment, 10%
Chemistry, 8%
Microorganisms, 6%
FDA, 6%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%

Common research laboratory technician skills

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

Research Microbiologist vs. similar jobs

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Research Microbiologist
Research Microbiologist vs Research Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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