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The differences between senior laboratory technicians and clinical 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 technician. Additionally, a senior laboratory technician has an average salary of $48,530, which is higher than the $35,760 average annual salary of a clinical technician.
The top three skills for a senior laboratory technician include lab equipment, patients and research projects. The most important skills for a clinical technician are patients, vital signs, and phlebotomy.
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $48,530 | $35,760 |
| Hourly rate | $23.33 | $17.19 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 63,876 | 161,812 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| 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.
A clinical technician is responsible for operating and maintaining clinical equipment, ensuring the proper sterilization of all laboratory tools and kits to avoid contamination during medical procedures. Clinical technicians assist the patients with their medical inquiries and needs, collecting samples for laboratory, and helping medical professionals on surgeries and other medical operations. They also maintain medical charts, update patients' information on the database, and administer patients' medication. A clinical technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry, as well as strictly following internal guidelines and safety procedures during operations.
Senior laboratory technicians and clinical technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Average salary | $48,530 | $35,760 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $67,000 | Between $26,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Brigham and Women's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior laboratory technician and a clinical technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Connecticut |
Here are the differences between senior laboratory technicians' and clinical technicians' demographics:
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Clinical Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% |
| 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, 12.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |