---

Laboratory Technician

A program that prepares individuals, under the supervision of clinical laboratory scientists/medical technologists, to perform routine medical laboratory procedures and tests and to apply preset strategies to record and analyze data. Includes instruction in general laboratory procedures and skills; laboratory mathematics; medical computer applications; interpersonal and communications skills; and the basic principles of hematology, medical microbiology, immunohematology, immunology, clinical chemistry, and urinalysis.

Types of Degrees Laboratory Technician Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Laboratory Technician have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	62
Associate’s Degree	2,392
Bachelor’s Degree	159
Master’s Degree	353

What Laboratory Technician Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Laboratory Technician build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Laboratory Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Laboratory 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 Laboratory 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 Laboratory 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, Laboratory 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 Laboratory 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	—
Brady Specimen Labeling System	Label making software	—
Presentation software	Presentation software	—
Cerner Millennium	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Laboratory Technician graduates include:

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

What Can You Do With a Laboratory Technician Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Laboratory 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 Laboratory 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 Laboratory Technician?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.2% of Laboratory Technician degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,703	81.2%
Men	626	18.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,802	54.1%
Asian	294	8.8%
Hispanic or Latino	531	16.0%
Black or African American	414	12.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	35	1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.2%
Two or More Races	113	3.4%
Race Unknown	97	2.9%
International Students	35	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Laboratory Technician Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Laboratory 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 Laboratory Technician Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Laboratory 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	7	15
Bachelor’s	1	3

^{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 Laboratory Technician Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Laboratory 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
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
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.