Laboratory clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a laboratory clerk. Laboratory clerks usually study business, medical assisting services, or biology. 34% of laboratory clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,139 real laboratory clerk resumes to see exactly what laboratory clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for laboratory clerks are the University of Memphis and the University of Memphis.

There are also many online laboratory clerk courses to help get the education required to be a laboratory clerk.

There are certain laboratory clerk certifications that you should consider. These laboratory clerk certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).

What education do you need to become a laboratory clerk?

What degree do you need to be a laboratory clerk?

The most common degree for laboratory clerks is bachelor's degree, with 34% of laboratory clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 17%.

Bachelor's, 34%

Associate, 29%

High School Diploma, 17%

Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become a laboratory clerk?

You should major in business to become a laboratory clerk. 22% of laboratory clerks major in business. Other common majors for a laboratory clerk include medical assisting services and biology.

Business, 22%

Medical Assisting Services, 10%

Biology, 9%

Health Care Administration, 9%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for laboratory clerks

Laboratory clerks often get their degrees at University of Memphis, Wayne State University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for laboratory clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Laboratory clerk common college	Percentages
University of Memphis	8.93%
Wayne State University	8.93%
University of Phoenix	8.93%
College of Charleston	7.14%
Baker College	7.14%

Show more common laboratory clerk colleges

Best majors for laboratory clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	21.7%
2	Medical Assisting Services	10.3%
3	Biology	9.2%
4	Health Care Administration	9.2%
5	Nursing	5.8%

Show more common laboratory clerk majors

Best colleges for laboratory clerks

The best colleges for laboratory clerks are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A laboratory clerk with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for laboratory clerks. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become laboratory clerks.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

20 best online courses for laboratory clerks

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Top 10 most affordable universities for laboratory clerks

The most affordable schools for laboratory clerks are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for laboratory clerks are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for laboratory clerks.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for laboratory clerks

The hardest universities for laboratory clerks to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for laboratory clerks are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for laboratory clerks based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for laboratory clerks

The easiest schools for laboratory clerks to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a laboratory clerk without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for laboratory clerks.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

Average laboratory clerk salary by education level

Laboratory clerks with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $41,194 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, laboratory clerks earn a median annual income of $39,172 compared to $35,934 for laboratory clerks with an Associate degree.

Laboratory clerk education level	Laboratory clerk salary
Master's Degree	$41,194
High School Diploma or Less	$33,867
Bachelor's Degree	$39,172
Some College/ Associate Degree	$35,934

Laboratory clerk education FAQs

What is the best college for Laboratory Clerks?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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