How To Become A Histopathology Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a histopathology technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Tanea Reed Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a histopathology technician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $28.76 an hour? That's $59,825 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 17% and produce 20,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a histopathology technician?

Dr. Tanea Reed Ph.D.

Chair, Professor, Eastern Kentucky University

To a graduate just starting out, I would highly recommend establishing a list of short-term and long-term goals. Think about where they see themselves in the next 5 to 10 years and how they plan to reach them using SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). Additionally, if they have not already done so, they should set up a LinkedIn account as many jobs can be found on that platform. New graduates should plan on making multiple resumes that can be used when applying to different jobs based on the criteria (i.e., skills, academic, etc.). Lastly, I would recommend making a list of their "dream jobs and companies" and research the skills needed to perform the duties of their dream job and learn more about the company itself.

ScoreHistopathology TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $59,825

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 11.85%

Black or African American 11.76%

Hispanic or Latino 17.43%

Unknown 5.13%

White 53.03%

Gender

female 58.14%

male 41.86%

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

Key steps to become a histopathology technician

Explore histopathology technician education requirements

Most common histopathology technician degrees

Bachelor's

60.0 %

Associate

20.0 %

Master's

9.1 %

Start to develop specific histopathology technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Laboratory Equipment	14.86%
Laboratory Results	12.31%
Anatomic Pathology	11.09%
Troubleshoot	7.83%
Sectioning	5.86%

Complete relevant histopathology technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New histopathology 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 histopathology technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real histopathology technician resumes.

Research histopathology technician duties and responsibilities

Recognize & investigate instrument malfunctions, perform calibrations, manage QC, and maintain comprehensive written records of tests & procedures.
Validate and optimize antibody for clinical immunohistochemistry assay.
Prepare cell block from urine, bronchial brushing, washing, FNA slide preparation.
Validate and optimize antibody for clinical immunohistochemistry assay.

Prepare your histopathology technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your histopathology 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 histopathology 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 histopathology technician resume templates

Build a professional histopathology 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 histopathology technician resume.

Apply for histopathology technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a histopathology 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

How do histopathology technicians rate their job?

-/5

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1 star

Histopathology technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

Hands on work and being able to learn new things everyday. Working side by side with the medical director was great too.

Cons

Not enough time to learn special Stains due to the department closing down

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019