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The differences between senior laboratory technicians and assistant laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a senior laboratory technician and an assistant laboratory technician. Additionally, a senior laboratory technician has an average salary of $48,530, which is higher than the $35,556 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a senior laboratory technician include lab equipment, patients and research projects. The most important skills for an assistant laboratory technician are patients, ladders, and computer lab.
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $48,530 | $35,556 |
| Hourly rate | $23.33 | $17.09 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 63,876 | 116,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Senior Laboratory Technician is responsible for supervising and coordinating scientific investigations and experiments. They supervise staff, provide technical support, and construct, maintain, and operate standard laboratory equipment.
The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.
Senior laboratory technicians and assistant laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $48,530 | $35,556 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $67,000 | Between $21,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Manchester, NH |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Patterson-UTI Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a senior laboratory technician and an assistant laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between senior laboratory technicians' and assistant laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |