Wildlife technician vs laboratory researcher

The differences between wildlife technicians and laboratory researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a wildlife technician and a laboratory researcher. Additionally, a wildlife technician has an average salary of $33,462, which is higher than the $27,760 average annual salary of a laboratory researcher.

The top three skills for a wildlife technician include GPS, hand tools and harvest. The most important skills for a laboratory researcher are lab procedures, cell culture, and molecular biology.

Wildlife technician vs laboratory researcher overview

	Wildlife Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Yearly salary	$33,462	$27,760
Hourly rate	$16.09	$13.35
Growth rate	9%	17%
Number of jobs	9,809	57,359
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age	40	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a wildlife technician do?

A wildlife technician is responsible for supporting wildlife biologists and management personnel on conducting research projects for habitat preservation and environmental welfare. Wildlife technicians create data reports, assist in laboratory examinations, collect biological samples, and maintaining the safety and security of the premises by observing surveillance equipment and adhering to safety policies and protocols. They also operate and inspect the efficiency of tools and equipment, provide routine maintenance, and request immediate repairs as necessary. A wildlife technician helps in planning wildlife programs and managing information dissemination to the public.

What does a laboratory researcher do?

Laboratory researchers are professionals who manage a research laboratory while performing cellular and biochemical experiments with the primary researcher. These researchers must work with hazardous chemicals and should show expertise in handling lab equipment such as glassware and field equipment. They are required to assist with research projects and interpret the test data of an experiment. They must manage the order of all lab equipment by filling up the purchase requisition forms. Laboratory researchers are required to work with students in all aspects of laboratory research.

Wildlife technician vs laboratory researcher salary

Wildlife technicians and laboratory researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wildlife Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Average salary	$33,462	$27,760
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $44,000	Between $17,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	New Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Maine
Best paying company	Boulder County	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Education

Differences between wildlife technician and laboratory researcher education

There are a few differences between a wildlife technician and a laboratory researcher in terms of educational background:

	Wildlife Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Wildlife technician vs laboratory researcher demographics

Here are the differences between wildlife technicians' and laboratory researchers' demographics:

	Wildlife Technician	Laboratory Researcher
Average age	40	41
Gender ratio	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%	Male, 56.7% Female, 43.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 26.4% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	8%

Differences between wildlife technician and laboratory researcher duties and responsibilities

Wildlife technician example responsibilities.

Lead fish exclusion and relocation efforts, using backpack electro fishing gear.
Research new techniques to properly manage invasive species such a common carp.
Perform automated DNA and RNA extraction of clinical specimens.
Collect and process biological samples for epidemiology PCR and RT-PCR studies.
Work with other volunteers and sometimes independently to search for, identify and record GPS coordinates of invasive plant species.
Extract nematode specimens from soil samples, remount old nematode slides, and enter vital information into USDA nematode collection database.

Laboratory researcher example responsibilities.

Manage participant records according to IRB guidelines to ensure confidentiality.
Plan to create apparatus and experimental procedure to enable selective extraction of DNA using surface chemistry.
Experience in conducting gel electrophoresis procedures.
Gel electrophoresis are used to analyze banding patterns.
Specialize in design and implementation of ELISA's for vaccine.
Analyze samples with advance instrumentation, including HPLC and UV-visible spectroscopy.

Wildlife technician vs laboratory researcher skills

Common wildlife technician skills

GPS, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Harvest, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Wildlife Habitat, 6%
GRASS, 5%

Common laboratory researcher skills

Lab Procedures, 10%
Cell Culture, 7%
Molecular Biology, 6%
PCR, 6%
Chemistry, 5%
R, 4%

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Wildlife Technician
Wildlife Technician vs Laboratory Researcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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