Test laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician

The differences between test laboratory technicians and lead 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 test laboratory technician and a lead laboratory technician. Additionally, a lead laboratory technician has an average salary of $54,230, which is higher than the $50,765 average annual salary of a test laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a test laboratory technician include test equipment, troubleshoot and test results. The most important skills for a lead laboratory technician are patients, lab equipment, and customer service.

Test laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician overview

	Test Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$50,765	$54,230
Hourly rate	$24.41	$26.07
Growth rate	-	3%
Number of jobs	64,233	77,096
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	12	12

What does a test laboratory technician do?

A test laboratory technician is responsible for conducting laboratory tests to diagnose patients' conditions and identify their treatment plans. Test laboratory technicians safely operate laboratory tools and equipment, adhering to the strict safety standards and regulations to avoid contamination and prevent potential hazards within the laboratory. They also maintain the cleanliness of the area, as well as sanitizing the instruments and properly segregating disposable materials. A test laboratory technician analyzes results and writes medical reports under the supervision of an attending physician or medical technologist.

What does a lead laboratory technician do?

A Lead Laboratory Technician coordinates the operations of a laboratory. They supervise the preparation of specimens for tests, collection of blood, examination of blood samples, and other duties performed by the technician team.

Test laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician salary

Test laboratory technicians and lead laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Test Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$50,765	$54,230
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $73,000	Between $33,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Waltham, MA	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maine	New Jersey
Best paying company	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between test laboratory technician and lead laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a test laboratory technician and a lead laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Test Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Biology
Most common college	Purdue University	New York University

Test laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between test laboratory technicians' and lead laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Test Laboratory Technician	Lead Laboratory Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between test laboratory technician and lead laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Test laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Used LabVIEW to collect data from measurement equipment (transducers, etc . )
Assist in the design of all RF and environmental fixtures need to test these components.
Assist product engineering to make changes to products in order to meet UL and CSA standards.
Test soil, asphalt, and concrete samples for moisture, density, durability, and other characteristics.
Test done on the asphalt must pass due to the specification of GDOT specs for the contractor to use.

Lead laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments.
Assist with FDA and OSHA audits, coordinate the center for all audits and inspections.
Accession patient information, doctor information, and testing information accurately and promptly into the NovoPath LIS system.
Develop and execute IQ/OQ/PQ at manufacturing site.
Maintain, troubleshoot, verify and calibrate laboratory equipment.

Test laboratory technician vs lead laboratory technician skills

Common test laboratory technician skills

Test Equipment, 8%
Troubleshoot, 7%
Test Results, 6%
Test Lab, 6%
Test Methods, 5%
Data Collection, 5%

Common lead laboratory technician skills

Patients, 12%
Lab Equipment, 11%
Customer Service, 9%
Ongoing Maintenance, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Chemistry, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Test Laboratory Technician
Test Laboratory Technician vs Lead Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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