Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between specimen technicians and medical laboratory 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 specimen technician and a medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, 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 medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.
| Specimen Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,267 | $51,780 |
| Hourly rate | $18.88 | $24.89 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 79,207 | 88,721 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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 medical laboratory technician is responsible for assisting medical health professionals in conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and provide treatments. Medical laboratory technicians ensure the sanitation of all the tools and equipment before conducting tests. They collect adequate blood samples and specimens, analyze fluid elements, utilize laboratory equipment safely, create reports of findings, and alert medical personnel and medical technologists of emergency conditions. A medical laboratory technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry disciplines and processes to perform sensitive tasks and release accurate medical results.
Specimen technicians and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Specimen Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,267 | $51,780 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $37,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Integrated Resources | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a specimen technician and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Specimen Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Biology | Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between specimen technicians' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Specimen Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |