What is a clinical laboratory technician and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a clinical laboratory scientist?

It typically takes four to five years to become a clinical laboratory scientist. This position requires a bachelor's degree in clinical laboratory science and some experience in a healthcare or medical lab setting.

Q: How much does a clinical laboratory technician make an hour?

Clinical lab technicians typically make $30 an hour, on average. The salary for a clinical lab technician is typically between $45,000 and $65,000 a year with a national median salary for clinical laboratory technicians is around $61,000 in a year,

Q: What is the difference between a clinical lab tech and a medical lab tech?

The only difference between a clinical lab tech and a medical lab tech is the job title. These two professions involve the same training, job duties, and credentials. Medical technologists and clinical laboratory scientists are trained healthcare professionals who collect medical samples and perform tests. They analyze body fluids, study blood samples, and discuss the results of tests with physicians.

Q: What qualifications do you need to be a lab technician?

Qualifications you need to be a lab technician include degrees, certification, and in some cases, licensure. Completing an accredited medical laboratory technician degree program is required. Candidates can find MLT programs at four-year institutions and community colleges. This is a two-year associate's degree in the field of medical lab technology. Some schools offer accelerated programs that can be completed in 65 to 75 weeks.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Benjamin Ford,

Xenia Morin Ph.D.

A clinical laboratory technician performs laboratory tests on patient samples to aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. They work in healthcare settings including hospitals, clinics, and research facilities. They may prepare specimens, perform tests, interpret results, maintain equipment, and document findings. They also ensure that testing procedures remain accurate and safe. Clinical laboratory technicians provide precise and timely information to help healthcare professionals diagnose and treat patients.

What general advice would you give to a clinical laboratory technician?

Benjamin Ford

Professor and Chair, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Students graduating this year have come through a life-changing year. I'd encourage them to embrace that change. Rather than putting this year behind them and moving on, I'd like graduates to reflect on what worked and didn't work in the past year, and use that reflection to improve themselves and the world. This could be as simple as continuing to hone the time management skills we were all forced to develop, or as large as working to dismantle one of the structural inequalities that became glaringly apparent as nations struggled with health and economy.

ScoreClinical Laboratory TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,756

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

9.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 12.89%

Black or African American 10.20%

Hispanic or Latino 17.67%

Unknown 5.14%

White 53.29%

Gender

female 65.50%

male 34.50%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.7

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a clinical laboratory technician?

Pros

Job stability and security
Competitive salary and benefits
Opportunity for career advancement
Flexibility in scheduling
High demand for skilled laboratory technicians

Cons

Repetitive tasks and long hours
High stress environment with tight deadlines
Physically demanding work, including standing for long periods of time
Potential for burnout due to high workload
Potential for low job satisfaction due to repetitive nature of tasks

Key steps to become a clinical laboratory technician

Explore clinical laboratory technician education requirements

Most common clinical laboratory technician degrees

Bachelor's

63.1 %

Associate

17.4 %

Master's

8.0 %

Start to develop specific clinical laboratory technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	15.57%
Test Results	7.02%
Patient Care	6.15%
Hematology	4.64%
Body Fluids	4.26%

Complete relevant clinical laboratory technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical laboratory technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical laboratory technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical laboratory technician resumes.

Research clinical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Provide oversight of training and competency testing of technicians to ensure compliance with CLIA, HIPPA and OSHA guidelines.
Collect, process, and analyze clinical specimens for several departments including microbiology, chemistry, hematology, and urinalysis
Experience working in a hospital laboratory in automate chemistry, hematology, blood bank, urinalysis, and immunology departments.

Prepare your clinical laboratory technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical laboratory technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical laboratory technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable clinical laboratory technician resume templates

Build a professional clinical laboratory technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clinical laboratory technician resume.

Apply for clinical laboratory technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a clinical laboratory technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average clinical laboratory technician salary

The average clinical laboratory technician salary in the United States is $50,756 per year or $24 per hour. Clinical laboratory technician salaries range between $36,000 and $70,000 per year.

Average clinical laboratory technician salary

$50,756 Yearly

$24.40 hourly

How do clinical laboratory technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Clinical laboratory technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Pros

I like working in the Microbiology and Virology area. I have 35 years experience in those areas

Cons

I really like everything about being a Medical Technologist. Is a great profession

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Pros

The diagnostic science. I will one day be a DCLS and work as a diagnostician.

Cons

That we are not respected as autonomous certified individuals that are equal to nurses. Also the pay does not reflect our education and expertise.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I like the work. Chemistry . Serology . Micro . Blood Bank

Cons

Low pay ..No Respect

Clinical laboratory technician FAQs

What is a clinical laboratory technician and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a clinical laboratory technician?

What are the pros and cons of being a clinical laboratory technician?

Clinical laboratory technician career paths

Key steps to become a clinical laboratory technician

Explore clinical laboratory technician education requirements

Most common clinical laboratory technician degrees

Start to develop specific clinical laboratory technician skills

Complete relevant clinical laboratory technician training and internships

Research clinical laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Prepare your clinical laboratory technician resume

Choose from 10+ customizable clinical laboratory technician resume templates

Apply for clinical laboratory technician jobs

How did you land your first clinical laboratory technician job

Average clinical laboratory technician salary

How do clinical laboratory technicians rate their job?

Clinical laboratory technician reviews

Clinical laboratory technician FAQs

How long does it take to become a clinical laboratory scientist?

How much does a clinical laboratory technician make an hour?

What is the difference between a clinical lab tech and a medical lab tech?

What qualifications do you need to be a lab technician?

Search for clinical laboratory technician jobs