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Senior laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician

The differences between senior laboratory technicians and clinical 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 a clinical laboratory technician. Additionally, a clinical laboratory technician has an average salary of $50,756, which is higher than the $48,530 average annual salary of a senior laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a senior laboratory technician include lab equipment, patients and research projects. The most important skills for a clinical laboratory technician are patients, test results, and patient care.

Senior laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician overview

Senior Laboratory TechnicianClinical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary$48,530$50,756
Hourly rate$23.33$24.40
Growth rate9%-
Number of jobs63,876119,050
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4444
Years of experience1212

What does a senior laboratory technician do?

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.

What does a clinical laboratory technician do?

A clinical laboratory technician typically works under the direction of a physician or medical technologist to perform tests that will aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions and illnesses. You will perform various duties, including preparing samples for analysis, monitoring tests and procedures, and matching blood for transfusion. Additionally, you are expected to participate in staff training and educational opportunities and contribute to a secure and safe environment for patients, physicians, co-workers, and visitors. This role will also require ensuring that laboratory information remains confidential.

Senior laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician salary

Senior laboratory technicians and clinical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Laboratory TechnicianClinical Laboratory Technician
Average salary$48,530$50,756
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $67,000Between $36,000 And $70,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAStockton, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaAlaska
Best paying companyGenentechClaxton Hepburn
Best paying industryManufacturingMedia

Differences between senior laboratory technician and clinical laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a senior laboratory technician and a clinical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

Senior Laboratory TechnicianClinical Laboratory Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorBiologyBiology
Most common collegeNew York UniversityNew York University

Senior laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between senior laboratory technicians' and clinical laboratory technicians' demographics:

Senior Laboratory TechnicianClinical Laboratory Technician
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 58.6% Female, 41.4%Male, 34.5% Female, 65.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 10.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 12.9% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between senior laboratory technician and clinical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Senior laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
  • Operate a binary distillation column using LabView to separate a mixture of methanol and water.
  • Provide and sign certificate of analyses for wet chemistry and microbiology.
  • Perform CFU-blast, CFU-C, CFU-D, CFU-S assays.
  • Create raw material library on FTIR.
  • Perform manual titration, including testing bacteria and other water tests.
  • Show more

Clinical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
  • Provide oversight of training and competency testing of technicians to ensure compliance with CLIA, HIPPA and OSHA guidelines.
  • Collect, process, and analyze clinical specimens for several departments including microbiology, chemistry, hematology, and urinalysis
  • Experience working in a hospital laboratory in automate chemistry, hematology, blood bank, urinalysis, and immunology departments.
  • Dispose of biohazard wastes according to OSHA standards ..
  • Screen blood products for pathogens and co-treatment success.
  • Show more

Senior laboratory technician vs clinical laboratory technician skills

Common senior laboratory technician skills
  • Lab Equipment, 9%
  • Patients, 8%
  • Research Projects, 5%
  • Cell Culture, 4%
  • Safety Procedures, 4%
  • Molecular Biology, 4%
Common clinical laboratory technician skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Test Results, 7%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Hematology, 5%
  • Body Fluids, 4%
  • Proficiency Testing, 4%

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