How to hire a central laboratory technician

How to hire a central laboratory technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step central laboratory technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a central laboratory technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new central laboratory technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your central laboratory technician job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a central laboratory technician for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect central laboratory technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of central laboratory technicians.

   Type of Central Laboratory Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Central Laboratory Technician	Medical laboratory technologists (commonly known as medical laboratory scientists) and medical laboratory technicians collect samples and perform tests to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances.	$9-25
   Accessioner	An accessioner works at laboratories where they are primarily in charge of managing and organizing specimens, assisting scientists as needed. Their responsibilities include receiving and verifying samples, labeling and preparing specimens according to its purpose, updating databases, disposing of waste properly, and examining samples for any contamination... Show more	$11-21
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Laboratory Equipment
   • GMP
   • Analytical Equipment
   • Test Order
   • R
   • Blood Products
   • Product Quality

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
   • Ensure facility compliance with governmental (FDA and EPA) GLP, and GMP regulations.
   • Prepare GMP media and buffer solutions for research labs.
   • Maintain and operate laboratory equipment and commendably troubleshoot and resolve an assortment of laboratory testing analyzers and perform diverse chemical tests.
   • Operate various testing equipment such as centrifuges and semi and fully automate liquid transfer instruments.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your central laboratory technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A central laboratory technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, central laboratory technicians' average salary in oklahoma is 48% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level central laboratory technicians 63% less than senior-level central laboratory technicians.
   • Certifications. A central laboratory technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a central laboratory technician's salary.

   Average central laboratory technician salary

   $15.92hourly

   $33,117 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level central laboratory technician salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

4. Writing a central laboratory technician job description

   A central laboratory technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a central laboratory technician job description:

   Central laboratory technician job description example

   Join Cleveland Clinic's Fairview Hospital, founded in 1892, where we are a fully accredited hospital by The Join Commission. Fairview Hospital is a community hospital with 488 licensed beds and was recently awarded the No.4 hospital among Cleveland hospitals and No. 5 hospital in Ohio. At Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, our patients have access to our strong clinical Centers of Excellence which includes Heart, Cancer, Birthing, Surgery, and our certified Level II Trauma Center.
   
   As a Laboratory Technician, you will be responsible for specific laboratory specimens, orders, and information disposition. You will be performing and demonstrating an understanding of laboratory testing as well as technical and procedural problem solving. Working closely with our collaborative team, you will perform specimen investigation procedures to resolve lab specimen issues or problems. Your primary duties will include:
   - Organizing, prioritizing and coordinating receipt and delivery of lab specimens.
   - Performing laboratory testing while following correct policies.
   - Performing cleanliness and preventative maintenance on instruments and equipment.
   - Properly preparing specimens for analysis, transport and distribution.
   
   The Ideal Candidate is someone who:
   - Shows strong critical thinking skills.
   - Comes prepared and willing to learn on a daily basis.
   - Can work under minimal supervision and show decisive judgement.
   - Works well in stressful situations.
   - Currently is certified as a Medical Technologist (MT) or eligible preferred.
   
   Cleveland Clinic provides what matters most: career growth, delivering world-class care to our patients, continuous learning, exceptional benefits and working for an organization that offers many long-term career paths. Join us and experience a culture where opportunities to advance and the support to get there go hand in hand. Responsibilities: Coordinates prioritization, receipt and delivery of laboratory specimens. Verifies accurate documentation relative to specimen processing. Accepts or rejects specimens according to established standards and performs specimen investigation procedures to resolve lab specimen issues or problems. Prepares specimens for analysis; aliquots, transports and distributes specimens. Maintains tracking information for specimens. Maintains instrumentation and equipment along with its cleanliness. Performs preventive maintenance and record keeping procedures. Maintains appropriate workstation supplies and inventory. Maintains patient, specimen and tracking data using laboratory computer system. Other duties as assigned. Education: Associate's Degree or equivalent. Three years of progressive lab experience may substitute for required education. Certifications: None required. Complexity of Work: Requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision. Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action. Work Experience: Minimum one year experience in similar role. Bachelor's degree in a laboratory-based major may substitute for 1 year of lab work experience. Physical Requirements: Typical physical demands include visual acuity and the ability to distinguish colors; manual dexterity to handle specimens and repair equipment; may require extended periods of sitting, standing and walking. Personal Protective Equipment: Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

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5. Post your job

   To find central laboratory technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any central laboratory technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level central laboratory technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your central laboratory technician job on Zippia to find and attract quality central laboratory technician candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with central laboratory technician candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new central laboratory technician

   Once you've found the central laboratory technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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