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Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists: Job Description

Perform complex medical laboratory tests for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May train or supervise staff.

What Do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of medical and clinical laboratory technologists include:

• Analyze samples of biological material for chemical content or reaction.
• Analyze laboratory findings to check the accuracy of the results.
• Conduct chemical analysis of body fluids, including blood, urine, or spinal fluid, to determine presence of normal or abnormal components.
• Enter data from analysis of medical tests or clinical results into computer for storage.
• Collect and study blood samples to determine the number of cells, their morphology, or their blood group, blood type, or compatibility for transfusion purposes, using microscopic techniques.
• Set up, clean, and maintain laboratory equipment.
• Operate, calibrate, or maintain equipment used in quantitative or qualitative analysis, such as spectrophotometers, calorimeters, flame photometers, or computer-controlled analyzers.
• Establish or monitor quality assurance programs or activities to ensure the accuracy of laboratory results.

What Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists Need to Know

Successful medical and clinical laboratory technologists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Types of Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists Jobs

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

• Biochemistry Technologist
• Blood Bank Laboratory Technologist
• Blood Bank Medical Technologist
• Blood Bank Technologist
• Cath Lab Technologist (Catheterization Laboratory Technologist)
• Chemistry Technologist
• Clinical Chemist
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)

Job Outlook

The U.S. employs around 653,254 medical and clinical laboratory technologists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +3.9% over the projection horizon.

How Much Do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists Make?

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$77,339
Hourly median	$37.18
10th percentile	$54,854
25th percentile	$66,096
75th percentile	$88,581
90th percentile	$99,824

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

Software Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists Use

• Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
• Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
• Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

Work Environment

The on-the-job environment of medical and clinical laboratory technologists reflects the following characteristics:

• Telephone Conversations
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• E-Mail
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

Education and Training

Entry-level medical and clinical laboratory technologists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

• Microbiologists (Supplemental)
• Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (Supplemental)
• Chemists (Supplemental)
• Biological Technicians (Primary-Long)
• Chemical Technicians (Supplemental)
• Cardiologists (Supplemental)
• Physicians, Pathologists (Supplemental)
• Radiologists (Supplemental)

Degree Programs

Future medical and clinical laboratory technologists often complete programs in:

Health Professions and Related Programs

5 programs across 1 majors

• Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science

About the Data

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 29-2011.00 (Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists).