How to hire a histology specialist

How to hire a histology specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step histology specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your histology specialist 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 histology specialist 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

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a histology specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a histology specialist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of histology specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Histology Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Histology Specialist	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.	$15-39
   Clinical Laboratory Scientist	A Clinical Laboratory Scientist is responsible for performing laboratory tests that doctors count on to correctly diagnose and treat patients. They examine body fluids, tissues, and cells, identify infective microorganisms, and analyze the chemical constituents of body fluids.	$22-47
   Medical Laboratory Scientist	As a medical laboratory scientist, you will be responsible for analyzing various types of body specimens, including blood, tissue, and urine. You will conduct scientific testing on samples and report the results to physicians... Show more	$19-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Laboratory Equipment
   • Sectioning
   • QC
   • QA

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage supply inventory and maintain cleanliness.
   • Conduct research using online federal regulations, review Medicare and Medicaid policy and guidelines to complete an accurate and well-support decision.
   • Review genotyping and genetic monitoring results for accuracy, validity, and outcome.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your histology specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A histology specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, histology specialists' average salary in alabama is 42% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level histology specialists earn 60% less than senior-level histology specialists.
   • Certifications. A histology specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a histology specialist's salary.

   Average histology specialist salary

   $52,547yearly

   $25.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level histology specialist salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 7, 2026

4. Writing a histology specialist job description

   A histology specialist 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. Below, you can find an example of a histology specialist job description:

   Histology specialist job description example

   This position is intended for individuals with prior experience working as a histotechnologist and possesses ASCP certification in Histotechnology. The individual in this position will be capable of performing all routine histopathology functions, handle escalated issues and troubleshoot quality issues. The individual is responsible for providing supervisory oversight for the day-to-day operations of the laboratory.
   
   * Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Histology laboratory and supervision of the technical and support staff. In conjunction with the operations manager/director, ensures that all departmental policies and procedures meet the standards of current state and federal regulations.
   
   * Coordinate and supervise the histotechs, laboratory assistants, grossing personnel, and other support staff.
   * Schedule and maintain adequate coverage and effective utilization of personnel.
   * Monitor and control expenses in line with department budget.
   * Assist in the preparation of the budget and recommend capital equipment needs.
   * Maintain appropriate levels of supplies and reagents commensurate with workload.
   * Provide technical instructions and training of personnel in techniques, instrumentation, and organization of work.
   * Maintain a current procedure manual, reviewing and revising as needed.
   * Interview and select potential employees in conjunction with the Manager.
   * Write and conduct employee performance evaluations.
   * Ensure that all employees follow all company and department policies; initiate performance improvement with employees, as needed.
   * Participate in company meetings and conduct departmental meetings, when applicable.
   * Maintain equipment and instruments in good operating condition, recognize any malfunctions and troubleshoot.
   * Communicates with the Histopathology Technical Supervisor and Senior Medical Director/Laboratory Director as appropriate.
   * Maintain attendance records; approve overtime and vacation time.
   * Ensure proper time record editing.
   * Ensure the technical quality, so that the Pathologists can adequately evaluate prepared slides.
   * Ensure that all outstanding cases are reconciled.
   * Engage in client contact, as applicable.
   * Maintain appropriate quality assurance documentation.
   * Ensure that all employees comply with all safety regulations, including personal protective equipment.
   * Complete successfully all personnel departmental training and competency assessments.
   * Interact with medical transcription staff, as applicable
   * Facilitate and develop continuing education.
   * Perform special projects, as assigned by the operations manager/director.
   * Provide backup for bench Histotechnicians/Histotechnologists in sectioning and staining.
   * Ensure all corporate safety, quality control and quality assurance standards are met.
   * Ensure compliance with all local, federal, CLIA and CAP regulations
   * Perform specimen preparation on non-gynecological specimens, including cytopreparation, staining, coverslipping, etc. after completing training on non-gynecological specimen types. This includes specimen preparation of Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) specimens
   * Other duties, as assigned by manager.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   
   Required Work Experience:
   
   * AS degree in Biological/Physical sciences or equivalent combination of education and experience.
   * HT (ASCP)
   * 3 years Histology experience.
   * 6 years of experience are required for any individual assuming a supervisory position in a New York State licensed laboratory.
   * Current state licensure, if applicable
   * Meet all of the qualifications listed in the Policy for Minimum Qualification for Histotechnician and Histology Supervisor.
   
   Preferred Work Experience:
   
   * BS degree in biological/physical sciences
   * HTL (ASCP)
   * Graduate of a NAACLS accredited Histotechnology program
   * 6 years of histopathology experience, with 1-2 years in a leadership role
   * Immunohistochemistry experience
   
   Physical and Mental Requirements:
   
   * The normal performance of duties may require lifting and carrying objects: Objects 1 to 10 pounds are lifted and carried frequently; objects 11 to 25 pounds are lifted and carried occasionally; objects 36 to 50 pounds are seldom lifted or carried and objects over 50 pounds are not to be lifted or carried without assistance.
   * Ability to stand and work at the bench for long periods of time.
   * Frequent walking and/or standing.
   * May be required to use a wide variety of manual tools and laboratory instruments and apparatuses all of which demand significant manual dexterity
   
   Knowledge:
   
   N/A
   
   Skills:
   
   N/A
   
   EDUCATION
   
   Associates Degree(Required)
   
   Bachelor's Degree
   
   LICENSECERTIFICATIONS
   
   Current state licensure, if applicable(Required)
   
   HT (ASCP) (Required)
   
   HTL (ASCP)
   
   NAACLS accredited Histotechnology program

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right histology specialist 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 histology specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit histology specialists 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 histology specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality histology specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting histology specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 histology specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect histology specialist 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.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with 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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