Laboratory Assistant Salary
Average Laboratory Assistant Salary
$16.43hourly
How much does a Laboratory Assistant make?
Laboratory assistants make $34,168 per year on average, or $16.43 per hour, in the United States. Laboratory assistants on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $26,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $44,000.
Location impacts how much a laboratory assistant can expect to make. Laboratory assistants make the most in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Alaska, Hawaii, and New Jersey.
Highest Paying States For Laboratory Assistants
- State View
- County View
Laboratory Assistant average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $43,536 | $20.93 | 1,798 |
| 2 | Vermont | $37,699 | $18.12 | 168 |
| 3 | Maine | $36,793 | $17.69 | 316 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $36,313 | $17.46 | 2,164 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $41,912 | $20.15 | 538 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $38,426 | $18.47 | 1,563 |
| 7 | Alaska | $39,817 | $19.14 | 145 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $37,214 | $17.89 | 204 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $36,559 | $17.58 | 581 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $34,226 | $16.45 | 378 |
| 11 | Michigan | $33,402 | $16.06 | 1,689 |
| 12 | New York | $35,792 | $17.21 | 3,079 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $34,208 | $16.45 | 163 |
| 14 | Iowa | $33,619 | $16.16 | 657 |
| 15 | Ohio | $33,484 | $16.10 | 1,832 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $35,069 | $16.86 | 1,079 |
| 17 | Delaware | $37,374 | $17.97 | 171 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $33,318 | $16.02 | 936 |
| 19 | Washington | $35,184 | $16.92 | 1,158 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $32,142 | $15.45 | 198 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $39,630 | $19.05 | 122 |
| 22 | Oregon | $34,737 | $16.70 | 615 |
| 23 | California | $37,358 | $17.96 | 3,989 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $31,388 | $15.09 | 278 |
| 25 | Montana | $33,368 | $16.04 | 180 |
| 26 | Indiana | $31,427 | $15.11 | 1,152 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $31,560 | $15.17 | 1,610 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $32,696 | $15.72 | 281 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $37,061 | $17.82 | 119 |
| 30 | Illinois | $33,288 | $16.00 | 1,812 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $29,265 | $14.07 | 1,098 |
| 32 | Virginia | $34,744 | $16.70 | 1,267 |
| 33 | Maryland | $33,521 | $16.12 | 968 |
| 34 | Kansas | $30,192 | $14.52 | 483 |
| 35 | Arizona | $29,289 | $14.08 | 1,137 |
| 36 | Idaho | $30,874 | $14.84 | 259 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $28,733 | $13.81 | 830 |
| 38 | Nevada | $32,002 | $15.39 | |
| 39 | Colorado | $31,978 | $15.37 | 837 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $30,397 | $14.61 | 78 |
| 41 | Missouri | $30,232 | $14.53 | 818 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $27,916 | $13.42 | 545 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $30,076 | $14.46 | 273 |
| 44 | Florida | $25,228 | $12.13 | 3,402 |
| 45 | Utah | $29,018 | $13.95 | 411 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $26,727 | $12.85 | 323 |
| 47 | Georgia | $27,990 | $13.46 | 1,491 |
| 48 | Texas | $26,921 | $12.94 | 3,119 |
| 49 | Alabama | $26,545 | $12.76 | 623 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $25,704 | $12.36 | 368 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $25,720 | $12.37 | 439 |
Highest Paying Cities For Laboratory Assistants
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $43,573 | $20.95 | 13 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $39,976 | $19.22 | 3 |
| 3 | Lakewood, NJ | $38,282 | $18.40 | |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $37,949 | $18.24 | 12 |
| 5 | Burlington, VT | $37,672 | $18.11 | |
| 6 | Portland, ME | $36,851 | $17.72 | |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $36,546 | $17.57 | 7 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $35,766 | $17.20 | 8 |
| 9 | Bellingham, WA | $35,490 | $17.06 | 2 |
| 10 | Saint Paul, MN | $35,086 | $16.87 | 6 |
| 11 | Springfield, OR | $34,749 | $16.71 | 5 |
| 12 | Rochester, NH | $34,296 | $16.49 | 1 |
| 13 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $33,886 | $16.29 | 8 |
| 14 | Eau Claire, WI | $33,689 | $16.20 | |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $33,627 | $16.17 | 14 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Laboratory Assistants Salary Details
What is a Laboratory Assistant's Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| Average | $34,168 | $2,847 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest Paying Types of Laboratory Assistants
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Laboratory Technologist Internship | $37,088 | $3,091 | $17.83 | 169,421 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technician | $50,756 | $4,230 | $24.40 | 119,050 |
| Research Laboratory Technician | $38,308 | $3,192 | $18.42 | 86,476 |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | $51,780 | $4,315 | $24.89 | 88,721 |
| Laboratory Coordinator | $52,690 | $4,391 | $25.33 | 64,914 |
| Laboratory Internship | $35,305 | $2,942 | $16.97 | 90,970 |
Here are the five companies hiring the most now:
Which Companies Pay Laboratory Assistants The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UST Global | $61,378 | $29.51 | 3 |
| 2 | Massasoit Community College | $49,229 | $23.67 | 1 |
| 3 | Mt. San Antonio College | $47,892 | $23.02 | 2 |
| 4 | City Utilities of Springfield | $45,537 | $21.89 | |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $44,559 | $21.42 | 27 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | $44,388 | $21.34 | |
| 7 | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute | $44,006 | $21.16 | 2 |
| 8 | Saint Xavier University | $43,427 | $20.88 | |
| 9 | Zoetis | $43,417 | $20.87 | 18 |
| 10 | State College of Florida | $42,488 | $20.43 | 1 |
| 11 | Stanford University | $42,413 | $20.39 | 15 |
| 12 | MCPHS University - Boston | $41,669 | $20.03 | 1 |
| 13 | Dallas College | $41,355 | $19.88 | |
| 14 | Favorite Healthcare Staffing | $41,249 | $19.83 | |
| 15 | Aya Healthcare | $40,760 | $19.60 | |
| 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 | 2 |
| 20 | HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology | $40,033 | $19.25 | 1 |
Laboratory Assistant Pay Trends
Average Laboratory Assistant Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Laboratory Assistant Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $34,200 | $16.43 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $33,200 | $15.98 | -0.7% |
| 2021 | $33,500 | $16.10 | +2.5% |
| 2020 | $32,600 | $15.70 | +1.9% |
| 2019 | $32,000 | $15.39 | -0.1% |
Recently Added Laboratory Assistant Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom | Laboratory Assistant | Mobile, AL | 11/30/2022 | $37,566 |
| Sanford Health | Laboratory Assistant-Sanford Health Blood Mobile | Sioux Falls, SD | 11/29/2022 | $39,653 |
| Kelly Services | Lab Assistant | Mobile, AL | 11/28/2022 | $37,566 |
| Sanford Health | Laboratory Assistant-PRN-Days | Valley City, ND | 11/23/2022 | $32,349 |
| State of Connecticut, Department of Administrative Services | Laboratory Assistant Hour) | Meriden, CT | 11/23/2022 | $43,753 |
| Health Alliance of Hudson Valley | Lab Assistant | Valhalla, NY | 11/23/2022 | $49,295 |
| Makesy | Laboratory Assistant | Irvine, CA | 11/23/2022 | $41,740 |
| Makesy | Laboratory Assistant | Irvine, CA | 11/23/2022 | $41,740 |
| Gus Perdikakis Associates | Laboratory Assistant | Boston, MA | 11/22/2022 | $43,827 |
| Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom | Laboratory Assistant | Overland Park, KS | 11/22/2022 | $35,479 |
Laboratory Assistant Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Laboratory Assistants The Most?
Massachusetts pays Laboratory Assistants the most in the United States, with an average salary of $43,536 per year, or $20.93 per hour.
How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As A Laboratory Assistant?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Laboratory Assistant if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Connecticut you should be paid close to $41,912 per year.
What Is A Good Starting Salary For A Laboratory Assistant?
A good starting salary for a laboratory assistant is $26,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a laboratory assistant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for laboratory assistants is $33,031, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a laboratory assistant can vary by state.
How Much Do Lab Workers Make?
Lab workers make around $54,000 a year or $26 per hour. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, lab workers (commonly also called clinical laboratory technologists or medical laboratory scientists) can earn more than $83,700.
How Much Do Laboratory Assistants Make?
Laboratory assistants make about $33,000 a year. This average salary ranges between $27,000 and $39,000 in a year, mainly on experience and education levels.
While laboratory assistants are typically only required to hold a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, they will earn more if they have completed some additional education. This achievement can be through a year vocational school program or a traditional associate's or bachelor's degree program.
Is A Lab Assistant A Good Job?
Yes, being a laboratory assistant is a good job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, lab assistant and technician jobs will continue to experience significant growth soon.
With a 13 percent increase in demand for clinical and medical laboratory technicians, it is a great field to pursue in healthcare. Becoming a laboratory assistant is an easy way into the healthcare field, with low entry-level requirements and a high ability to find well-paying jobs and progress.
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