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Scientific aide vs biology laboratory technician

The differences between scientific aides and biology laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a scientific aide and a biology laboratory technician. Additionally, a biology laboratory technician has an average salary of $38,514, which is higher than the $33,594 average annual salary of a scientific aide.

The top three skills for a scientific aide include data entry, water quality data and GPS. The most important skills for a biology laboratory technician are lab equipment, molecular biology, and chemistry.

Scientific aide vs biology laboratory technician overview

Scientific AideBiology Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary$33,594$38,514
Hourly rate$16.15$18.52
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs40,84445,470
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

Scientific aide vs biology laboratory technician salary

Scientific aides and biology laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Scientific AideBiology Laboratory Technician
Average salary$33,594$38,514
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $42,000Between $29,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City-South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-University of California
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between scientific aide and biology laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a scientific aide and a biology laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

Scientific AideBiology Laboratory Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorBiologyBiology
Most common collegeDuke UniversityCornell University

Scientific aide vs biology laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between scientific aides' and biology laboratory technicians' demographics:

Scientific AideBiology Laboratory Technician
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 50.6% Female, 49.4%Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 13.8% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 12.7% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between scientific aide and biology laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Scientific aide example responsibilities.

  • Identify owl species by sight and sound prompt using hoot flute and reed caller.
  • Utilize GPS and GIS for recording various field activities (e.g.
  • Haul seine the Christina river to monitor shad and herring movement/reproduction.
  • Navigate to and through remote locations using paper maps and GPS units.
  • Conduct deer surveys in various counties in California, using fecal DNA analysis.
  • Extract DNA and RNA from plant and insect samples for bacterial or viral detection.
  • Show more

Biology laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
  • Prepare media and reagents necessary for microbiological and electrophoresis analysis.
  • Carry out highly complex pharmaceutical and biotechnology studies while maintaining strong relationships with clients and upholding federal regulations for FDA approval.
  • Design and implement vegetation survey using GPS and GIS; collect and analyze data for reports.
  • Record the amount of plant cover, GPS coordinates and environmental conditions in a journal for different sampling plots.
  • Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.

Scientific aide vs biology laboratory technician skills

Common scientific aide skills
  • Data Entry, 11%
  • Water Quality Data, 11%
  • GPS, 8%
  • Biological Data, 5%
  • Data Collection, 5%
  • GIS, 5%
Common biology laboratory technician skills
  • Lab Equipment, 12%
  • Molecular Biology, 6%
  • Chemistry, 5%
  • Laboratory Procedures, 4%
  • Biology Lab, 4%
  • Cell Culture, 4%

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