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The differences between specimen technicians and laboratory specialists 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 laboratory specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a laboratory specialist has an average salary of $50,357, 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 laboratory specialist are chemistry, patients, and test results.
| Specimen Technician | Laboratory Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $39,267 | $50,357 |
| Hourly rate | $18.88 | $24.21 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 79,207 | 68,634 |
| 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 laboratory specialist develops the areas assigned to them and promotes maximum resource allocation and utilization to achieve their goals. Laboratory specialists handle storage and backup devices, support telecommunication-associated equipment, and relay customer requests and issues. It is their job to process specimens in toxicology, coagulation, microbiology, hematology, chemistry, and urinalysis. Skills and knowledge in a photo lab, cell culture, customer service, and test cases are necessary for this position.
Specimen technicians and laboratory specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Specimen Technician | Laboratory Specialist | |
| Average salary | $39,267 | $50,357 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $36,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Integrated Resources | Nokia |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a specimen technician and a laboratory specialist in terms of educational background:
| Specimen Technician | Laboratory Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | SUNY Stony Brook |
Here are the differences between specimen technicians' and laboratory specialists' demographics:
| Specimen Technician | Laboratory Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% |
| 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, 10.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |