Lab Sciences & Medical Technology

Types of Degrees Lab Sciences & Medical Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many laboratory sciences and medical technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	3,107
Graduate Certificate	323
Master’s Degree	307
Undergraduate Certificate	100
Associate Degree	35
Basic Certificate	30
Doctor’s Degree	10

What Lab Sciences & Medical Technology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to clinical laboratory sciences and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors

Clinical Laboratory Sciences majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors

clinical laboratory sciences majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors

As you progress with your clinical laboratory sciences degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Lab Sciences & Medical Technology Major?

People with a clinical laboratory sciences degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Cytogenetic Technologists	11.6%	NA
Cytotechnologists	11.6%	NA
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Histotechnologists and Histologic Technicians	11.6%	NA

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Lab Sciences & Medical Technology?

The major attracts more women than men. About 75% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of clinical laboratory sciences majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	405
Black or African American	283
Hispanic or Latino	343
White	1,715
International Students	132
Other Races/Ethnicities	229

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, too. About 4.2% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Lab Sciences & Medical Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Clinical Laboratory Sciences majors often go into careers with median salaries of $122,320. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Lab Sciences & Medical Technology

Some degrees associated with clinical laboratory sciences may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for clinical laboratory sciences careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.1%
Some College Courses	0.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	17.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	37.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	19.6%
Master’s Degree	7.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.9%
Doctoral Degree	4.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.3%

Online Lab Sciences & Medical Technology Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 323 schools offered some type of laboratory sciences and medical technology program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	15	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	10	1
Bachelor’s Degree	25	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	40	3
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Lab Sciences & Medical Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a clinical laboratory sciences grad is $122,320 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 207% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,648,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Lab Sciences & Medical Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to clinical laboratory sciences.

Major	Number of Grads
Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist	7,599
Laboratory Technician	4,185
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician	1,108
Other Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions	982
Blood Bank Technology Specialist	280
Histologic Technician	243
Renal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician	220
Histologic Technology/Histotechnologist	106
Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist	101
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technology/Technician	78
Cytogenetics/Genetics/Clinical Genetics Technology/Technologist	46
Hematology Technology	41

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.