Wildlife technician vs research laboratory technician

The differences between wildlife technicians and research laboratory technicians 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 research laboratory technician. Additionally, a research laboratory technician has an average salary of $38,308, which is higher than the $33,462 average annual salary of a wildlife technician.

The top three skills for a wildlife technician include GPS, hand tools and harvest. The most important skills for a research laboratory technician are patients, chemistry, and laboratory equipment.

Wildlife technician vs research laboratory technician overview

	Wildlife Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$33,462	$38,308
Hourly rate	$16.09	$18.42
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	9,809	86,476
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	40	40
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 research laboratory technician do?

Research laboratory technicians play a vital role in scientific laboratories. They perform varied duties and responsibilities, which include setting up, operating, and maintaining the laboratory equipment, assisting in laboratory-based research activities such as sampling, testing, and analyzing results, and providing technical support to the laboratory team members. In addition, they are expected to support the development and advancement of science and modern medicine. Other typical duties of research laboratory technicians include preparing samples and specimens, keeping abreast with current technical developments, and ensuring strict compliance with safety procedures.

Wildlife technician vs research laboratory technician salary

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

	Wildlife Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$33,462	$38,308
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $44,000	Between $30,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Illinois
Best paying company	Boulder County	Accenture
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between wildlife technician and research laboratory technician education

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

	Wildlife Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Cornell University

Wildlife technician vs research laboratory technician demographics

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

	Wildlife Technician	Research Laboratory Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%	Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 15.7% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between wildlife technician and research laboratory technician 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.

Research laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage RT-PCR screening of candidate genes.
Manage the development of innovative visualization and concept mapping of contest environment analysis challenges and analyst skill sets.
Use many scientific techniques to collect and analyze RNA, DNA, and specific proteins from lines of potato plants.
Preform computational molecular simulation of DNA and RNA.
Retain patients from previous research projects and update database using patient histories and correlating pertinent medical data.
Work with non human primates in an HIV testing laboratory.

Wildlife technician vs research laboratory technician skills

Common wildlife technician skills

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

Common research laboratory technician skills

Patients, 9%
Chemistry, 7%
Laboratory Equipment, 7%
Cell Culture, 5%
Research Data, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Wildlife Technician
Wildlife Technician vs Research Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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