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The differences between senior laboratory technicians and laboratory coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior laboratory technician, becoming a laboratory coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laboratory coordinator has an average salary of $52,690, 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 laboratory coordinator are lab equipment, patients, and patient care.
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $48,530 | $52,690 |
| Hourly rate | $23.33 | $25.33 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 63,876 | 64,914 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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 laboratory coordinator is responsible for supporting laboratory examinations and experiments, collecting laboratory samples, and ensuring the efficiency and performance of laboratory tools and equipment. Laboratory coordinators maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the laboratory facility at all times to avoid contaminations and hazards that may affect laboratory results and accuracy of examinations. They also perform scientific processes under the supervision of a scientist or laboratory technicians and keep an organized report of findings in the database.
Senior laboratory technicians and laboratory coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $48,530 | $52,690 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $67,000 | Between $38,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Genentech | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior laboratory technician and a laboratory coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior laboratory technicians' and laboratory coordinators' demographics:
| Senior Laboratory Technician | Laboratory Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 58.6% Female, 41.4% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| 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, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |