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Technical specialist, cytology vs medical laboratory technician

The differences between technical specialists, cytology 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 technical specialist, cytology and a medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a technical specialist, cytology has an average salary of $54,859, which is higher than the $51,780 average annual salary of a medical laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a technical specialist, cytology include clinical laboratory, non-gyn and FNA. The most important skills for a medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.

Technical specialist, cytology vs medical laboratory technician overview

Technical Specialist, CytologyMedical Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary$54,859$51,780
Hourly rate$26.37$24.89
Growth rate10%16%
Number of jobs71,64788,721
Job satisfaction-3.33
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Associate Degree, 55%
Average age4444
Years of experience1212

Technical specialist, cytology vs medical laboratory technician salary

Technical specialists, cytology and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Technical Specialist, CytologyMedical Laboratory Technician
Average salary$54,859$51,780
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $73,000Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City-Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between technical specialist, cytology and medical laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a technical specialist, cytology and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

Technical Specialist, CytologyMedical Laboratory Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Associate Degree, 55%
Most common majorBiologyClinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Most common collegeNew York UniversityUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Technical specialist, cytology vs medical laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between technical specialists, cytology' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:

Technical Specialist, CytologyMedical Laboratory Technician
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 22.4% Female, 77.6%Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 12.2% White, 55.4% 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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between technical specialist, cytology and medical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Technical specialist, cytology example responsibilities.

  • Manage and supervise the operations of the cytology department.
  • Perform QC and QA of all slides process.
  • Numbered, stain and cover slip all GYN and non-GYN specimens.
  • Prepare GYN and Non-GYN specimens, make slides, and stain for cytologist and pathologist to interpret.
  • Work with Thinprep and Surepath cytology and pathology preparations.
  • Initiate and implement projects for cost reduction, productivity improvement, and increase equipment availability/reliability and to meet ISO compliance.
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Medical laboratory technician example responsibilities.

  • Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
  • Accomplish constant multitasking between phlebotomy, reception and lab on a daily basis while providing outstanding customer communication skills.
  • Conduct clinical diagnostic laboratory tests and specimen analysis in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, serology and immunology.
  • Experience in the areas of chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, coagulation and microbiology specimen preparation.
  • Serve as rotational general laboratory technician in urinalysis, serology, chemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, and shipping.
  • Pass and receive ASCP MLT certification upon graduation.
  • Show more

Technical specialist, cytology vs medical laboratory technician skills

Common technical specialist, cytology skills
  • Clinical Laboratory, 22%
  • Non-Gyn, 18%
  • FNA, 9%
  • Computer System, 8%
  • Cell Samples, 7%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 6%
Common medical laboratory technician skills
  • Medical Laboratory, 10%
  • Patients, 10%
  • ASCP, 9%
  • Clinical Laboratory, 8%
  • MLT, 6%
  • Patient Care, 4%

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