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What does a senior laboratory technician do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
Quoted expert
Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.
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.

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Senior laboratory technician responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior laboratory technician resumes:

  • 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.
  • Optimize differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) programs for specific components.
  • Assure compliance to CLIA 1988 and all laboratory policies for testing and safety.
  • Perform microbiology tests such as aseptic and non-aseptic plating, gram stem, etc.
  • Used ELISA to determine the amount of transiently produce protein in various transgenic mouse model constructs.
  • Maintain a clean and safe lab to comply with regulatory guidelines (CLIA, OSHA).
  • Redesign the kernel job scheduling & memory management algorithms in Linux OS - breakthrough analysis of geotextiles.
  • Evaluate system model methods and web languages - advance HTML, dynamic web page, server-side computing.
  • Perform, independently, techniques in microbiology, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, cell biology and histology from lab protocols.
  • Register patients for laboratory testing.

Senior laboratory technician skills and personality traits

We calculated that 9% of Senior Laboratory Technicians are proficient in Lab Equipment, Patients, and Research Projects. They’re also known for soft skills such as Ability to use technology, Interpersonal skills, and Observation skills.

We break down the percentage of Senior Laboratory Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Lab Equipment, 9%

    Managed the requisition of lab supplies and lab equipment Maintained primary functionality of key equipment in color cosmetic laboratory.

  • Patients, 8%

    Research on identification and characterization of human antigens/antibodies and their role in graft versus host disease of patients post Bone-Marrow transplant.

  • Research Projects, 5%

    Maintain records of laboratory instrument regular maintenance and supplies for ongoing research projects in compliance with established standards.

  • Cell Culture, 4%

    Authored Business Process Management Process for Cell Culture Department.

  • Safety Procedures, 4%

    Developed and documented safety procedures, oversaw the daily running of the laboratory.

  • Molecular Biology, 4%

    Supervised, setup, coordinated and assisted with graduate molecular biology laboratory classes.

"lab equipment," "patients," and "research projects" are among the most common skills that senior laboratory technicians use at work. You can find even more senior laboratory technician responsibilities below, including:

Analytical skills. Another crucial skill for a senior laboratory technician to carry out their responsibilities is "analytical skills." A big part of what senior laboratory technicians relies on this skill, since "biological technicians need to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision." How this skill relates to senior laboratory technician duties can be seen in an example from a senior laboratory technician resume snippet: "collected and reported testing data to support various r&d; projects submitted to the fda. "

Communication skills. Another skill commonly found on senior laboratory technician job descriptions is "communication skills." It can come up quite often in senior laboratory technician duties, since "biological technicians must understand and follow the instructions of their managing scientists." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day senior laboratory technician responsibilities: "conducted research and managed data collection, budgets and communication with clients. "

All senior laboratory technician skills

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Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume
Senior Laboratory Technician Resume

Compare different senior laboratory technicians

Senior laboratory technician vs. Laboratory coordinator

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.

We looked at the average senior laboratory technician salary and compared it with the wages of a laboratory coordinator. Generally speaking, laboratory coordinators are paid $4,160 higher than senior laboratory technicians per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between senior laboratory technicians and laboratory coordinators are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like lab equipment, patients, and research projects.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, senior laboratory technician responsibilities require skills like "cell culture," "safety procedures," "molecular biology," and "rna." Meanwhile a typical laboratory coordinator has skills in areas such as "patient care," "chemistry," "laboratory safety," and "osha." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Laboratory coordinators tend to make the most money working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $57,789. In contrast, senior laboratory technicians make the biggest average salary, $49,923, in the manufacturing industry.On average, laboratory coordinators reach higher levels of education than senior laboratory technicians. Laboratory coordinators are 5.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Senior laboratory technician vs. Technician

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

A career as a technician brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a senior laboratory technician. In fact, technicians salary is $10,485 lower than the salary of senior laboratory technicians per year.A few skills overlap for senior laboratory technicians and technicians. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "patients," "safety procedures," and "r."

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that senior laboratory technician responsibilities requires skills like "lab equipment," "research projects," "cell culture," and "molecular biology." But a technician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "patient care," "hand tools," and "diagnosis."

Technicians may earn a lower salary than senior laboratory technicians, but technicians earn the most pay in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $46,660. On the other hand, senior laboratory technicians receive higher pay in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $49,923.technicians earn lower levels of education than senior laboratory technicians in general. They're 6.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for senior laboratory technicians in the next 3-5 years?

Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Biological Sciences (Emeritus) & Teaching & Learning Consultant, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

-In any STEM field, predicting, recognizing, and fighting climate change looms large. In the life sciences, detecting the effects of environmental change at the species, individual, cellular, and molecular level will be increasingly necessary.
-Medical science will need to respond to new challenges arising out of climate change and the aging population. Supported (as always) by basic sciences, medical science will focus on big-picture biology, represented by the ever-growing number of "...omics". These include genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics... and the enabling technologies that let us look at a lot of genes, gene products, and biochemical reactions at the same time. Finally, the ever-improving gene-editing technologies can lead to the treatment of disease, leading to a greater understanding of the disease and biological process in general.

Senior laboratory technician vs. Laboratory supervisor

The primary job of laboratory supervisors is to oversee the daily operations of laboratories. They are responsible for facilitating the collection, analysis, and interpretation of laboratory results. Other responsibilities include supervising personnel, managing the operating budget of the laboratory, and hiring employees. Laboratory supervisors are responsible for overseeing quality assurance and enforcing practices to ensure quality control within the laboratory. Aside from these tasks, they also manage the acquisition of laboratory equipment and supplies and resolve any technical or administrative issues within the laboratory.

On average scale, laboratory supervisors bring in higher salaries than senior laboratory technicians. In fact, they earn a $18,831 higher salary per year.By looking over several senior laboratory technicians and laboratory supervisors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "lab equipment," "patients," and "safety procedures." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a senior laboratory technician is likely to be skilled in "research projects," "cell culture," "molecular biology," and "data entry," while a typical laboratory supervisor is skilled in "clinical laboratory," "chemistry," "patient care," and "customer service."

Laboratory supervisors make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $77,667. On the other hand, senior laboratory technicians are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $49,923.Most laboratory supervisors achieve a similar degree level compared to senior laboratory technicians. For example, they're 1.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Senior laboratory technician vs. Research technician

A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.

Research technicians typically earn lower pay than senior laboratory technicians. On average, research technicians earn a $5,496 lower salary per year.While both senior laboratory technicians and research technicians complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like lab equipment, patients, and research projects, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A senior laboratory technician uses "safety procedures," "molecular biology," "troubleshoot," and "rna." Research technicians are more likely to have duties that require skills in "laboratory equipment," "biochemistry," "analyze data," and "pi. "The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for research technicians, with average annual pay of $51,020. Comparatively, the highest senior laboratory technician annual salary comes from the manufacturing industry.In general, research technicians hold similar degree levels compared to senior laboratory technicians. Research technicians are 1.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of senior laboratory technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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