Career comparison
Medical Laboratory Technician vs. Microbiologist
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Microbiologists earn more at the median ($87,990 vs. $62,930), while medical laboratory technicians usually get to work faster (2 years (technician) or 4 years (technologist) of training). Medical laboratory technicians run the lab tests doctors use to diagnose and treat patients. Microbiologists study bacteria, viruses and microbes to protect health and make products.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Microbiologist | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $62,930 ($30.26/hr) | $87,990 ($42.30/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $38,910 – $100,990 | $54,670 – $150,000 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +2.7% (about as fast as average) | +6.2% (faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 20,800 | 1,500 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 2 years (technician) or 4 years (technologist) | 4+ years |
| Key credential | ASCP Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) | ASM Specialist Microbiologist |
| Work setting | Technicians work in hospital labs, reference labs, clinics and blood banks, handling biological samples with safety precautions.. | Microbiologists work in labs, sometimes with infectious agents under biosafety rules.. |
What each job does
Medical Laboratory Technician
- Process patient samples
- Run tests on automated analyzers
- Perform manual tests and microscopy
- Run quality control
- Check and report results
Microbiologist
- Culture and identify microorganisms
- Test products for contamination
- Design and run experiments
- Monitor clean rooms and environments
- Analyze data
How they’re similar
Both careers involve indoor work, working with information, and hands-on work. Both are part of the science, engineering & lab field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose medical laboratory technician if…
- I love science
- I’m precise and careful
- I want health care without direct patient care
Choose microbiologist if…
- I love biology
- I’m careful and precise
- I want to protect health
Still torn? Take the Medical Laboratory Technician fit quiz and the Microbiologist fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, medical laboratory technician or microbiologist?
Microbiologists earn more at the median: $87,990 versus $62,930 for medical laboratory technicians, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Medical Laboratory Technicians typically train faster (2 years (technician) or 4 years (technologist)) than microbiologists (4+ years).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects microbiologists to grow +6.2% from 2025–35, compared with +2.7% for medical laboratory technicians.