Tina_HP Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I was wondering how much do lab technicians with a MSc degree make ? Do they make as much as nurses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Lab techs usually make like $28,000-40,000. So no, not as much as a FT nurse. However, it's relatively tough to find a FT job as a nurse, the government prefers to keep them PT/casual, since it's cheaper. If you're choosing between MSc and nursing as a backup, I'd say that the opportunities are much better (not just in the financial sense) in nursing. Nursing is very versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina_HP Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 How much do nurses make on average? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meredith Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 The salary depends on the position. Do you mean lab technician or medical lab technologist? Very different - especially from the technologist's point of view, haha (they tend to get insulted when you refer to them as technician). Anyway, Jochi's quote is the ballpark for technicians. These positions usually require a minimum of scientific education (often a college diploma), whereas technologist makes closer to an RN. My numbers are for Ontario and are reliable (I used to work on hospital budgets - so if anything, I may be underestimating, not having seen the latest increases), but they are similar across the country, give or take a couple dollars an hour. A technologist makes about $50 - 70K. Technologists usually have a BSc, and some have an MSc. If they have an MSc, they usually are in positions with more responsibility or supervisory roles, therefore earn a higher wage. For your question about nurses' salaries, nurses start at around $28-30 and top out at around $40-42 per hour in Ontario - so, they earn about $55K to $82K per year, not counting any overtime or shift premiums, which are available in abundance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 How much do nurses make on average? I think the starting wage here in AB is about $32/hr. Goes up to like $42 eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina_HP Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 The salary depends on the position. Do you mean lab technician or medical lab technologist? Very different - especially from the technologist's point of view, haha (they tend to get insulted when you refer to them as technician). Anyway, Jochi's quote is the ballpark for technicians. These positions usually require a minimum of scientific education (often a college diploma), whereas technologist makes closer to an RN. My numbers are for Ontario and are reliable (I used to work on hospital budgets - so if anything, I may be underestimating, not having seen the latest increases), but they are similar across the country, give or take a couple dollars an hour. A technologist makes about $50 - 70K. Technologists usually have a BSc, and some have an MSc. If they have an MSc, they usually are in positions with more responsibility or supervisory roles, therefore earn a higher wage. For your question about nurses' salaries, nurses start at around $28-30 and top out at around $40-42 per hour in Ontario - so, they earn about $55K to $82K per year, not counting any overtime or shift premiums, which are available in abundance. What's the difference between lab technicians and medical lab technologists? Do lab technicians make less than medical lab technologists? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina_HP Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 This is my dilemma. If I go ahead with nursing, I will have to pay at least $10,000 in tuition plus living expenses. If I go with MSc, my tuition is being paid plus I'm getting paid by my supervisor about $13,000 per year. In addition, if I do MSc I don't have to go to lectures every single day so it would be less stressful than nursing. If I use the Nursing degree (undergrad degree) would I be able to use only the Nursing degree (compressed 19 months) to apply to UWO? UWO requires GPA from only the last 2 years so if I do a compressed nursing would UWO only use my Nursing degree or would they use my previous undergrad degree as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 What's the difference between lab technicians and medical lab technologists? Do lab technicians make less than medical lab technologists? Med lab techs work in a hospital (medical labs), regular lab techs (the MSc kind) work in research labs/schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meredith Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 In a hospital, there are both technicians and technologists. I think there are subtle differences in the terminology between the hospital world and research. My knowledge is only based on hospital labs. There, lab technicians do more scutwork. Their responsibilities require less independence and critical thinking / judgement than those of technologists (but still important for any lab technicians who may be offended!). Therefore, they earn significantly less - as Jochi said, in the $28K - $40K range, versus the $50K-$70K range of technologists. If you want to learn more about the differences (because my knowledge of the differences is superficial), with some detective work, you could contact the director of the labs at a hospital near you - my experience is that people are always willing to answer questions. Especially if they think you are interested in coming on board - there is a shortage of technologists across Canada - it's just not as well-known as the shortage of nurses. But, if you have a BSc already and plan to do a MSc, I cannot see why you would not be a technologist. Your arguments against nursing / for MSc are valid. And technologist can be quite rewarding. Much less shift work (in general - always exceptions), room for advancement, lots of different opportunities - e.g., hospital safety work, hygiene, plain old benchwork, public health and health promotion, administration, education, developing new techniques, etc. You don't see patients, but you work in a team and in a field that is constantly evolving and improving. Good luck with your decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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