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The differences between sample prep technicians and 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 sample prep technician, becoming a laboratory technician takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a sample prep technician has an average salary of $42,504, which is higher than the $40,038 average annual salary of a laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a sample prep technician include QC, lab equipment and AA. The most important skills for a laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.
| Sample Prep Technician | Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $42,504 | $40,038 |
| Hourly rate | $20.43 | $19.25 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 63,971 | 84,357 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Sample Prep Technicians are responsible for carrying out sample preparation and laboratory testings. Their duties include client samples sorting and logging, conducting preliminary sample preparation, monitoring temperatures of freezers and refrigerators, cleaning of N-Evap, water baths refrigerators, and foreheads, and making sure proper procedures for sample returning, disposal, and archiving. They calibrate equipment such as pipettes, syringes, and balances, wash glassware, dispose of waste solvents, salinize liners and glass wools and sustain standard inventory. Sample Prep Technicians also perform equipment repair, assist laboratory technician, and ensure work adhere to organizations environmental, quality, health, and safety policies.
Laboratory technicians are medical professionals who work in the laboratory. They are responsible for the equipment in the laboratory, making sure tools are properly sanitized and sterilized after every use. They also ensure that laboratory equipment works well. Laboratory technicians may also be responsible for collecting and testing samples from patients. They prepare solutions and other chemicals that may be needed for testing. They also provide an analysis of the samples that they tested. Laboratory technicians ensure that all items in the laboratory are properly labeled and organized.
Sample prep technicians and laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sample Prep Technician | Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $42,504 | $40,038 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $63,000 | Between $27,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fall River, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Tenaska |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a sample prep technician and a laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Sample Prep Technician | Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | New York University |
Here are the differences between sample prep technicians' and laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Sample Prep Technician | Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4% | Male, 53.3% Female, 46.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |