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The differences between specimen technicians and histologic technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a specimen technician, becoming a histologic technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a histologic technician has an average salary of $49,962, which is higher than the $39,267 average annual salary of a specimen technician.
The top three skills for a specimen technician include patients, data entry and medical terminology. The most important skills for a histologic technician are ASCP, patients, and tissue specimens.
| Specimen Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,267 | $49,962 |
| Hourly rate | $18.88 | $24.02 |
| Growth rate | 1% | - |
| Number of jobs | 79,207 | 6,785 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A specimen technician is responsible for processing a human's medical sample and specimen in a laboratory setting to diagnose medical conditions and identify treatment plans. Specimen technicians operate various laboratory tools and equipment, requiring them to strictly adhere to safety guidelines and protocols to avoid potential hazards and potential disease contamination. They also record laboratory findings accurately and write comprehensive reports for the patients' and doctors' reference. A specimen technician may refer test results to other institutions for second opinions as needed for further investigation before the release of findings.
A Histologic Technician prepares tissue specimens for routine and special procedures to confirm a patient diagnosis. They work in hospital laboratories, government agencies, public health departments, and other institutions.
Specimen technicians and histologic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Specimen Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,267 | $49,962 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $33,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Integrated Resources | Battelle |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a specimen technician and a histologic technician in terms of educational background:
| Specimen Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between specimen technicians' and histologic technicians' demographics:
| Specimen Technician | Histologic Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |