How to hire a laboratory assistant

How to hire a laboratory assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step laboratory assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a laboratory assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the laboratory assistant you need to hire. Certain laboratory assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A laboratory assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, laboratory assistants 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 laboratory assistant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Laboratory Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Laboratory Assistant	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.	$12-21
   Medical Laboratory Technologist Internship	A medical laboratory technologist intern is responsible for assisting laboratory technologists in performing examinations and medical procedures. Medical laboratory technologist interns perform administrative duties under the supervision of a medical professional such as collecting laboratory samples, sending out reports, responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, and ensuring the adequacy of laboratory inventories... Show more	$12-25
   Clinical Laboratory Technician	A clinical laboratory technician typically works under the direction of a physician or medical technologist to perform tests that will aid in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions and illnesses. You will perform various duties, including preparing samples for analysis, monitoring tests and procedures, and matching blood for transfusion... Show more	$17-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Phlebotomy
   • Customer Service
   • Lab Procedures
   • Specimen Collection
   • Patient Care
   • Data Entry
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • Specimen Handling
   • Laboratory Specimens
   • Laboratory Procedures
   • Test Results
   • Phlebotomy Training
   • Blood Specimens

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Comfort frighten patients and maintain an exceptionally bright professional demeanor to accomplish a procedure that makes most people very uncomfortable.
   • Maintain and QC check laboratory equipment.
   • Preform laboratory duties using microscopes, centrifuges and a host of other laboratory equipment.
   • Provide excellent customer service to patients while accurately updating patient demographics, insurance and billing information in LabCorp LCM program.
   • Provide continuing education in the form of periodic in-services relating the phlebotomy procedures, tests and proper specimen collection requirements.
   • Process eyewear to meet national ANSII and OSHA standards.

   More laboratory assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your laboratory assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A laboratory assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a laboratory assistant in Texas may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level laboratory assistant usually earns less than a senior-level laboratory assistant. Additionally, a laboratory assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average laboratory assistant salary

   $16.43hourly

   $34,168 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level laboratory assistant salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average laboratory assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$43,573	$21
   2	Alaska	$39,976	$19
   3	New Jersey	$38,282	$18
   4	California	$37,949	$18
   5	Vermont	$37,672	$18
   6	Maine	$36,851	$18
   7	Pennsylvania	$36,546	$18
   8	New York	$35,766	$17
   9	Washington	$35,490	$17
   10	Minnesota	$35,086	$17
   11	Oregon	$34,749	$17
   12	New Hampshire	$34,296	$16
   13	Iowa	$33,886	$16
   14	Wisconsin	$33,689	$16
   15	Maryland	$33,627	$16
   16	Michigan	$33,443	$16
   17	Illinois	$33,432	$16
   18	Ohio	$33,037	$16
   19	Colorado	$32,126	$15
   20	North Carolina	$32,041	$15

   Average laboratory assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UST Global	$61,378	$29.51
   2	Massasoit Community College	$49,229	$23.67	7
   3	Mt. San Antonio College	$47,892	$23.02	2
   4	City Utilities of Springfield	$45,537	$21.89	1
   5	Columbia University in the City of New York	$44,559	$21.42	8
   6	University of California-Berkeley	$44,388	$21.34
   7	Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute	$44,006	$21.16
   8	Saint Xavier University	$43,427	$20.88	1
   9	Zoetis	$43,417	$20.87	12
   10	State College of Florida	$42,488	$20.43	1
   11	Stanford University	$42,413	$20.39	6
   12	MCPHS University - Boston	$41,669	$20.03	2
   13	Dallas College	$41,355	$19.88	1
   14	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$41,249	$19.83
   15	Aya Healthcare	$40,760	$19.60	9
   16	Tallahassee Community College	$40,564	$19.50
   17	UC Merced	$40,452	$19.45
   18	Cell Signaling Technology	$40,432	$19.44
   19	Emanate Health	$40,196	$19.32	6
   20	HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology	$40,033	$19.25	3

4. Writing a laboratory assistant job description

   A laboratory assistant 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 laboratory assistant job description:

   Laboratory assistant job description example

   MercyOne is a connected system of health care facilities and services dedicated to helping individuals live their best life.
   
   With 420 care locations, our clinics, medical centers and affiliates are never too far from home, allowing us to improve the lives of individuals and communities across the state of Iowa and beyond.
   
   MercyOne's Central Iowa Region includes medical centers in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Newton and Centerville and two specialty hospitals - MercyOne Children's Hospital in Des Moines and MercyOne Rehabilitation Hospital in Clive - along with more than 20 additional facilities that house more than 50 primary care, pediatric, internal medicine and specialty clinics. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1893, MercyOne Central Iowa has the longest continually operating hospital in Des Moines.
   
   As our Lab Assistant at MercyOne, you'll help solve mysteries as to what's ailing a patient and get us one step closer to successfully treating that illness or injury. Using your expertise and our technology, you will collect, prepare and then examine specimens in the lab to help determine the results of whatever test is being performed. Is this patient anemic? Are they pregnant? Has the cancer returned? Test their blood, urine or tissue and find out!
   
   You'll build trust in all your interactions through your professionalism and work ethic. You are very knowledgeable in all areas of your role but always eager to learn more. You keep impeccable records, especially when labeling and distributing samples. Confidentiality is of utmost importance to you. You keep your work area clean and perform all quality control checks according to your lab supervisor's guidelines. Most of all, you understand how vital your role is in the diagnosing and treating of our patients and you're eager to help us succeed in making them better.
   Responsibilities
   Collect or receive samples of fluids or tissues. Determine if the quality and quantity are sufficient for testing. Use the lab equipment or chemicals to prepare the samples for testing. Perform the required tests on the samples. Keep accurate records. Label the specimens appropriately and send them to other departments as needed. Clean and maintain the lab equipment and the lab area throughout each shift. Run periodic quality control procedures on the equipment, under your supervisor's guidance. Maintain patient confidentiality at all times. Be respectful, kind and helpful to your colleagues as we work together to create a productive lab environment. We invite you to join MercyOne Des Moines today and experience it with us!
   Qualifications
   High school diploma or GED required. Proof of completion of Mandatory Reporter abuse training specific to population served within 3 months of hire. Knowledge of medical terminology and laboratory experience preferred.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right laboratory assistant 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 laboratory assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit laboratory assistants 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 laboratory assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit laboratory assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting laboratory assistants 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.

   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 laboratory assistant

   Once you've found the laboratory assistant 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 laboratory assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 laboratory assistant?