How to hire a clinical laboratory scientist

How to hire a clinical laboratory scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step clinical laboratory scientist hiring guide:

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

What does a clinical laboratory scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The clinical laboratory scientist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A clinical laboratory scientist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, clinical laboratory scientists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents clinical laboratory scientist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Clinical Laboratory Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Clinical Laboratory Scientist	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.	$22-47
   Pharmacist Technician	Pharmacist technicians assist pharmacists in their daily activities. They receive prescription medicine order requests of customers, validate the prescription, prepare the medicines, properly label medicine bottles, and hand them off to customers... Show more	$12-23
   Histologic Technician	A Histologic Technician prepares tissue specimens for routine and special procedures to confirm a patient diagnosis. They work in hospital laboratories, government agencies, public health departments, and other institutions.	$15-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Test Results
   • Microbiology
   • CLS
   • Hematology
   • ASCP
   • Patient Care
   • CLIA
   • Proficiency Testing
   • Laboratory Procedures
   • Immunology
   • Phlebotomy
   • Blood Bank
   • Patient Samples

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Analyze specimens in hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, chemistry, toxicology, blood bank, and limit microbiology and serology.
   • Perform testing on donor and patient samples on platforms using methodologies including EIA, CLIA, and NAT (PCR).
   • Perform patient blood analysis, interpret serology, immunology and flowcytometry results.
   • Provide phlebotomy, specimen processing and laboratory testing for clinical trial studies.
   • Analyze specimens in areas of hematology, urinalysis, coagulation, and clinical chemistry within time constraints in a high-volume environment.
   • Perform microbiology, mycology and bacteriology

   More clinical laboratory scientist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, clinical laboratory scientists' average salary in south dakota is 44% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level clinical laboratory scientists 54% less than senior-level clinical laboratory scientists.
   • Certifications. A clinical laboratory scientist 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 clinical laboratory scientist's salary.

   Average clinical laboratory scientist salary

   $67,900yearly

   $32.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level clinical laboratory scientist salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average clinical laboratory scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$84,320	$41
   2	Nevada	$80,322	$39
   3	New York	$63,595	$31
   4	Pennsylvania	$62,943	$30
   5	Massachusetts	$62,831	$30
   6	Texas	$59,401	$29
   7	Maryland	$59,151	$28
   8	Virginia	$57,909	$28
   9	Florida	$56,001	$27
   10	Kansas	$53,706	$26
   11	Missouri	$52,200	$25
   12	Illinois	$52,182	$25

   Average clinical laboratory scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Westpac	$107,176	$51.53
   2	Amazon	$104,534	$50.26	603
   3	Natera	$103,700	$49.86	95
   4	University of California-Berkeley	$103,370	$49.70
   5	Stanford University	$103,012	$49.52	104
   6	University of California	$98,288	$47.25	246
   7	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$97,632	$46.94
   8	SHERIDAN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION	$97,621	$46.93
   9	Bingham Memorial Hospital	$97,426	$46.84	1
   10	Appalachian Regional Healthcare	$95,370	$45.85	15
   11	Logan Health	$94,934	$45.64	2
   12	Plumas District Hospital	$94,848	$45.60	3
   13	Washington Hospital Healthcare System	$94,303	$45.34
   14	PerkinElmer	$94,063	$45.22	8
   15	Nor-Lea Hospital District	$94,056	$45.22
   16	CHI Mercy Health	$93,963	$45.17	6
   17	Exact Sciences	$93,951	$45.17	8
   18	Sierra Nevada Home Care	$93,893	$45.14
   19	Aya Healthcare	$93,676	$45.04	17
   20	Maxim Healthcare Group	$92,991	$44.71	8

4. Writing a clinical laboratory scientist job description

   A clinical laboratory scientist 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 clinical laboratory scientist job description:

   Clinical laboratory scientist job description example

   ** Up to $5,000 Sign On Bonus **
   

   CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - New Braunfels(CSRH-NB), nestled in the heart of downtown New Braunfels, is a full-service, 94-private bed facility that continues to expand to meet the needs of New Braunfels' strong population growth. Innovative equipment and procedures are utilized, including an Outpatient Imaging Center, orthopedic and surgical services, rehabilitation, a renovated birthing center, including 24/7 neonatal coverage, emergency care, wound care/hyperbaric center, 3D mammography, and comprehensive heart care, from diagnostics to open-heart surgery.

   Summary:

   This position performs all routine and complicated laboratory procedures including specimen processing and handling, testing of patient specimens, calculating and reporting of results, performance of quality control procedures, operation and maintenance of instruments and equipment, assisting in the development of new procedures and protocols, may perform phlebotomy and other patient oriented tasks, and may perform other related duties as requested or directed.
   

   Requirements:

   Bachelor's degree in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory science or medical technology from an accredited college/university, or

   Education that has been evaluated by an acceptable credentialing agency and deemed equivalent to a US Bachelor's degree in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory science or medical technology.

   Laboratory training including either completion of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by NAACLS, or other organizations approved by HHS, or

   Five years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, serology and urinalysis/body fluids in the U.S. or an accredited laboratory within the last ten years.

   At least one (1) to two (2) additional years of experience in a clinical laboratory setting is preferred.

   Must possess or provide proof of certification or certification eligibility for MT (ASCP), CLS (ASCP), MLS (ASCP), CLS (NCA/ASCP), or MT (AMT).

   If certification with an expiration date is held, the certification must be kept current

   
   

   Work Type:

   Full Time

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right clinical laboratory scientist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with clinical laboratory scientists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit clinical laboratory scientists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your clinical laboratory scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit clinical laboratory scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit clinical laboratory scientists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 clinical laboratory scientist

   Once you've decided on a perfect clinical laboratory scientist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   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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How much does it cost to hire a clinical laboratory scientist?