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The differences between tissue technicians and laboratory assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a tissue technician and a laboratory assistant. Additionally, a tissue technician has an average salary of $37,948, which is higher than the $34,168 average annual salary of a laboratory assistant.
The top three skills for a tissue technician include sterile technique, american association and tissue recovery. The most important skills for a laboratory assistant are patients, phlebotomy, and customer service.
| Tissue Technician | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $37,948 | $34,168 |
| Hourly rate | $18.24 | $16.43 |
| Growth rate | - | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 39,135 | 50,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A tissue technician retrieves tissues from donors and deceased individuals whose organs are signed up for donations. Tissue technicians work with surgeons on their transplant requests for organ donation. The tissue technician's job is to visit hospitals, funeral parlors, and such to harvest tissue, store it properly, and transport it safely to its destination. A tissue technician is a vital person for a surgeon and patients scheduled for operation or transplant.
Laboratory assistants work for researchers, scientists, or professors in the laboratory setting. They are expected to have a solid background in the field of study of the laboratory they are assigned to. They do a variety of tasks in the laboratory, such as setting up equipment, observing experiments, analyzing results, creating reports, and recommending improvements to the testing. They may also be assigned to clean and sanitize laboratory equipment as needed. Laboratory assistants should have good research skills, analytical skills, and organizational skills.
Tissue technicians and laboratory assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tissue Technician | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average salary | $37,948 | $34,168 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $50,000 | Between $26,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | UST Global |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a tissue technician and a laboratory assistant in terms of educational background:
| Tissue Technician | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between tissue technicians' and laboratory assistants' demographics:
| Tissue Technician | Laboratory Assistant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% | Male, 43.6% Female, 56.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 12.1% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 13.9% White, 53.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |