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The differences between technician's helpers and assistant 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 technician's helper and an assistant laboratory technician. Additionally, a technician's helper has an average salary of $36,448, which is higher than the $35,556 average annual salary of an assistant laboratory technician.
The top three skills for a technician's helper include customer service, HVAC and safety regulations. The most important skills for an assistant laboratory technician are patients, ladders, and computer lab.
| Technician's Helper | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $36,448 | $35,556 |
| Hourly rate | $17.52 | $17.09 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 81,564 | 116,488 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A technician's helper primarily performs support tasks to assist technicians in carrying out various installations and repairs, learning technical skills along the way. They usually prepare and arrange tools and equipment, set-up and clean work areas, understand blueprints and schematics, troubleshoot issues, assemble materials, and fix and replace components under the technician's supervision. There are also times when they must coordinate with clients to identify their needs and preferences. Moreover, depending on their organization of employment, a technician's helper may also perform minimal clerical tasks such as handling calls, answering inquiries, or purchasing the necessary materials.
The primary responsibility of a lab assistant is to help scientists and technologists. Lab assistants are assigned to prepare and monitor tests and experiments in research or medical laboratory. They analyze data and establish reports based on test results. Also, they set up the tools and equipment used in the lab. It is also part of their job to clean the lab rooms--knowledge in lab management, communication skills, attention to detail, and medical-related management.
Technician's helpers and assistant laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Technician's Helper | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $36,448 | $35,556 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $58,000 | Between $21,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Merced, CA | Manchester, NH |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | PNM Resources | Patterson-UTI Energy |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a technician's helper and an assistant laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Technician's Helper | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Automotive Technology | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Maryland - College Park |
Here are the differences between technician's helpers' and assistant laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Technician's Helper | Assistant Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 50 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 71.6% Female, 28.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 5.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 11.9% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |