How To Become A Laboratory Coordinator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a laboratory coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Tanea Reed Ph.D.,

Xenia Morin Ph.D.

As a laboratory coordinator, you will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating operational activities in a teaching laboratory or a university-wide research facility. You will ensure that experiments are set up and functioning properly, and that teaching assistants, researchers, and technicians know how to run the experiments and/or perform the surgeries.

The duties that you will be performing in this capacity include assisting faculty and researchers with planning the experiments, coordinating with staff and students, assessing inventory, requisition, and restocking supplies for the laboratories, attending meetings with faculty and staff members, maintaining records of student grades, and maintaining live animals or displays in laboratories for teaching purposes. Essential skills include coordination, knowledge of laboratory operations, communication, and organization.

Most employers look for a laboratory coordinator with a bachelor's degree in a science discipline along with three or more years of work experience operating and maintaining science equipment. The position compensates generously for the responsibilities that it comes with. The average hourly salary for a traditional workweek is $21.37, which amounts to $44,454 annually.

What general advice would you give to a laboratory coordinator?

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.

ScoreLaboratory CoordinatorUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,690

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 12.00%

Black or African American 10.46%

Hispanic or Latino 17.37%

Unknown 5.12%

White 54.24%

Gender

female 58.54%

male 41.46%

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

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a laboratory coordinator

Explore laboratory coordinator education requirements

Most common laboratory coordinator degrees

Bachelor's

60.5 %

Master's

15.1 %

Associate

14.4 %

Start to develop specific laboratory coordinator skills

Skills	Percentages
Lab Equipment	14.81%
Patients	12.50%
Patient Care	8.08%
Chemistry	6.47%
Laboratory Safety	3.20%

Complete relevant laboratory coordinator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New laboratory coordinators 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 laboratory coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real laboratory coordinator resumes.

Research laboratory coordinator duties and responsibilities

Lead a team to decide on an optimal LIS.
Manage curriculum development, authore and publish lab manuals in physiology and ecology.
Prepare and audit patient charts according to HIPAA compliance.
Reject patient specimen samples that do not meet CLIA requirements.

Prepare your laboratory coordinator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your laboratory coordinator resume.

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