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Blood Bank Technology Specialist

A program that prepares individuals to perform routine and specialized blood testing procedures, collect and process blood donations, and support physicians and other clinicians administering transfusion therapy. Includes instruction in basic cellular biology, immunohematology, blood bank procedures, blood typing, antigen and antibody identification tests, hemolytic and transfusion responses and diseases, donor selection, blood drawing and storage, blood separation, viral marker testing, laboratory and personnel supervision, safety and sterilization, and applicable laws and regulations.

Types of Degrees Blood Bank Technology Specialist Majors Are Earning

Those studying Blood Bank Technology Specialist have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	162
Master’s Degree	79

What Blood Bank Technology Specialist Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Blood Bank Technology Specialist develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Blood Bank Technology Specialist graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Blood Bank Technology Specialist emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Blood Bank Technology Specialist program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Blood Bank Technology Specialist careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Blood Bank Technology Specialist graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.7 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Blood Bank Technology Specialist professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Laboratory information system LIS	Medical software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Specimen labeling system software	Label making software	—
Cerner Millennium	Medical software	—
Brady Specimen Labeling System	Label making software	—
Presentation software	Presentation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Blood Bank Technology Specialist graduates include:

• Histologic Aide
• Histotechnician
• Histology Coordinator
• Histology Technician (HT)
• Histologist
• Mohs Technician (Mohs Tech)
• Histology Consultant
• Histologic Technician (HT)
• Histology Laboratory Aide
• Histology Lab Assistant (Histology Laboratory Assistant)
• Certified Histologic Technician (Certified Histologic Tech)
• Clinical Histology Technician (Clinical Histology Tech)
• Histology Assistant
• Histologic Technician
• Specimen Technician (Specimen Tech)

What Can You Do With a Blood Bank Technology Specialist Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Blood Bank Technology Specialist commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Histology Technicians	-0.2%	$80,721	$64,080–$97,363
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians	12.4%	$155,908	$123,571–$188,246
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Blood Bank Technology Specialist graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	34.3%
Bachelor’s degree	16.3%
Master’s degree	9.5%
Postsecondary certificate	9.3%
Doctoral degree	7.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.5%
Some college courses	6.6%
Post-doctoral training	4.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.6%
First professional degree	2.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Blood Bank Technology Specialist?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 94.2% of Blood Bank Technology Specialist degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	227	94.2%
Men	14	5.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Blood Bank Technology Specialist graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	69	28.6%
Asian	8	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	24	10.0%
Black or African American	126	52.3%
Two or More Races	12	5.0%
Race Unknown	1	0.4%
International Students	1	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Blood Bank Technology Specialist Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Blood Bank Technology Specialist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,942
4 years	$39,910
5 years	$44,672

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,672 — roughly 4% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Blood Bank Technology Specialist Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Blood Bank Technology Specialist. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Blood Bank Technology Specialist Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Blood Bank Technology Specialist graduates earn a median of $39,910 four years after completion — roughly 5% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	20,443
Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist	9,347
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist	3,893
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician	3,329
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician	1,964
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions, Other	895
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	614
Histologic Technician	260
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150
Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist	127

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.