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Histologic Technician

A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of histotechnologists and other clinical laboratory scientists, to prepare and process tissue samples and perform routine histologic procedures and tests. Includes instruction in fixation, dehydration, embedding, sectioning, decalcification, microincineration, mounting, routine and special steaming, laboratory mathematics, laboratory procedures and safety, instrumentation and microscopy, computer applications, preparation of museum specimens, and recording and administrative procedures.

Types of Degrees Histologic Technician Majors Are Earning

Those studying Histologic Technician may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	44
Associate’s Degree	135
Bachelor’s Degree	5
Master’s Degree	76

What Histologic Technician Majors Need to Know

Programs in Histologic Technician emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Histologic Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Histologic Technician 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 developed in a Histologic Technician 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

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Histologic Technician 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, Histologic Technician 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 Histologic Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Laboratory information system LIS	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 Histologic Technician graduates include:

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

What Can You Do With a Histologic Technician Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Histologic Technician 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 Histologic Technician 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 Histologic Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.8% of Histologic Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	205	78.8%
Men	55	21.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Histologic Technician graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	123	47.3%
Asian	18	6.9%
Hispanic or Latino	53	20.4%
Black or African American	36	13.8%
Two or More Races	10	3.8%
Race Unknown	13	5.0%
International Students	7	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Histologic Technician Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Histologic Technician 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 Histologic Technician Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Histologic Technician. 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
Associate’s	1	1

^{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 Histologic Technician Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Histologic Technician 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
Blood Bank Technology Specialist	241
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.