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The differences between tissue 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 tissue technician and a medical laboratory technician. Additionally, a medical laboratory technician has an average salary of $51,780, which is higher than the $37,948 average annual salary of a tissue technician.
The top three skills for a tissue technician include sterile technique, american association and tissue recovery. The most important skills for a medical laboratory technician are medical laboratory, patients, and ASCP.
| Tissue Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $37,948 | $51,780 |
| Hourly rate | $18.24 | $24.89 |
| Growth rate | - | 16% |
| Number of jobs | 39,135 | 88,721 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Associate Degree, 55% |
| 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.
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.
Tissue technicians and medical laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tissue Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average salary | $37,948 | $51,780 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $50,000 | Between $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 |
There are a few differences between a tissue technician and a medical laboratory technician in terms of educational background:
| Tissue Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | 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 tissue technicians' and medical laboratory technicians' demographics:
| Tissue Technician | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% | Male, 29.3% Female, 70.7% |
| 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, 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% |