What is a Laboratory Supervisor?

Laboratory supervisors are accountable for organizing and directing the daily activities of the laboratory. They supervise laboratory personnel and provide access to them for consultations. They plan and supervise laboratory services in line with established standards and the organization's policies. Asides from that, they conduct and oversee quality assurance and control. Also, they collect, analyze, and interpret lab results. Furthermore, they develop, implement, and review laboratory procedures and policies. Additionally, they maintain laboratory records, reports, and files, including maintaining inventory.

Candidates are required to have at least a bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, or any field. You must have a minimum of two years of experience in a similar role. You must be familiar with laboratory health and safety protocols. Additionally, you must possess leadership, multitasking, and communication skills. Laboratory supervisors make an average salary of $70,527 per year. This ranges between $49,000 and $102,000.

What Does a Laboratory Supervisor Do

There are certain skills that many laboratory supervisors have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed problem-solving skills, time-management skills and leadership skills.

Learn more about what a Laboratory Supervisor does

How To Become a Laboratory Supervisor

If you're interested in becoming a laboratory supervisor, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 61.6% of laboratory supervisors have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 11.4% of laboratory supervisors have master's degrees. Even though most laboratory supervisors have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Laboratory Supervisor
Top Laboratory Supervisor Jobs Near You

Laboratory Supervisor Career Paths

In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of laboratory manager you might progress to a role such as manager eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title plant manager.

Laboratory Supervisor

Average Salary for a Laboratory Supervisor

Laboratory Supervisors in America make an average salary of $67,361 per year or $32 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $96,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $47,000 per year.
Average Laboratory Supervisor Salary
$67,361 Yearly
$32.39 hourly
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Roles and Types of Laboratory Supervisor

The role of a laboratory supervisor includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general laboratory supervisor responsibilities:

  • Oversees analytical testing of raw materials
  • Ensure safe, reliable and accurate analysis of all materials lead laboratory safety. Take corrective actions as needed to eliminate safety hazards. Maintain all analytic equipment in accordance with safety
  • Under the direction of the laboratory director

There are several types of laboratory supervisor, including:

Supervisor

Role:

Supervisors have a super-important job (didn't see that one coming, did you?). From setting goals for employees to organizing the workflow in the office, supervisors oversee all operations.

In the same breath, supervisors are a great resource for employees to look to. Supervisors are always trying to figure out how to do things more efficiently while making sure everyone is staying on top of their goals.

Unless you're needed to stay later, typically you'll only work a 40-hour week as a supervisor. The majority of employers will only hire supervisors who have a bachelor's degree. Sometimes there are options for those with only a high school diploma, you just have to find the right employer.

  • Average Salary: $53,902
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Laboratory Manager

Role:

Whether you want to pursue a career in research or desire to discover the world around you on the molecular level, how life exits, becoming a laboratory manager could be a fulfilling option for you. Being the head of a research lab is more than just making substantial discoveries and undertaking researches - it is about managing a small business. On the plus side, a career as a lab manager brings you a lucrative average yearly salary, great benefits, and room for advancement. Laboratory manager is the profession that brings you a rewarding chance to get healthcare innovation and diagnostic insights that could save lives.

Working as a laboratory manager, you may perform a variety of general and laboratory-specific administrative duties. Generally, you spend your day in a laboratory office setting, hiring new staff, evaluating job performance, updating technicians, and making sound business decisions required to keep the lab running smoothly without a hitch. Typically, you may work the typical full-time schedule. However, nighttime work or shift work may come too, especially when there's a short deadline on a particular project.

To get the role of laboratory manager, most lab managers hold a bachelor's degree in natural science or a related discipline. Earning a master's degree in biotechnology or a related field and hands-on experience in a laboratory setting, working in a plant or relevant industry may help you become eligible for potential job openings. Supervising and overseeing laboratory operations, you may make an average annual wage of $64,000 with bonuses, social security, healthcare pensions, and paid time off. Not only that, but with advanced lab management skills, adequate experience, and a desirable aptitude for science, you may achieve the possible ways for advancement.

  • Average Salary: $74,314
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Laboratory Director

Role:

Running a laboratory is serious business. And because of that, it requires a host of skills. If you think you would like to be in charge of a laboratory, then you'll need to have great skills in leadership, communication, organization, multi-tasking, problem-solving, and budgeting. As a laboratory director, you'll be responsible for the overall operation and administration of the laboratory. Laboratory directors can end up dealing with a wide range of issues, including management of health and safety, regulatory affairs, equipment and facilities maintenance, and supervision of staff.

You will also be responsible for hiring competent and qualified personnel who can perform the required tasks. Since you'll be in a leadership position, you can also expect to collaborate with the organization's top executives to report on research goals and testing activities at the lab.

Most employers prefer to hire lab directors with a Bachelor's degree in a field of study related to the specific industry of the lab. Previous experience working in a lab as a technician or scientist is also helpful. Since you may end up managing complex budgets, you may find it beneficial to take business classes or earn an MBA.

  • Average Salary: $92,971
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Laboratory Supervisor Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active laboratory supervisor jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where laboratory supervisors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Laboratory Supervisor Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California2,628$88,008
2Florida1,525$55,574
3New York1,380$75,531
4Texas1,300$54,459
5Pennsylvania881$72,079
6Illinois787$63,308
7Ohio755$63,272
8Massachusetts742$79,498
9New Jersey672$71,293
10North Carolina617$63,551
11Washington612$65,494
12Georgia603$55,913
13Arizona585$63,385
14Michigan543$73,516
15Minnesota527$57,367
16Virginia493$63,047
17Wisconsin461$58,852
18Tennessee453$61,346
19Maryland446$72,561
20Indiana433$54,367
21Colorado411$64,697
22Iowa397$62,599
23Missouri357$55,004
24Alabama292$50,537
25Oregon260$86,341
26South Carolina245$51,751
27Connecticut234$82,278
28Kentucky226$67,438
29Louisiana225$65,484
30Utah222$73,128
31Arkansas214$67,788
32Kansas209$60,714
33New Hampshire187$73,103
34Oklahoma182$57,323
35Nevada167$84,415
36Nebraska149$56,978
37South Dakota140$57,203
38New Mexico136$55,673
39Idaho128$67,607
40West Virginia126$75,794
41Mississippi124$54,649
42Maine109$66,004
43Vermont91$67,683
44Montana88$67,145
45North Dakota84$61,132
46Alaska81$80,985
47Hawaii81$75,641
48Delaware70$72,905
49Rhode Island53$71,302
50Wyoming41$59,529

Laboratory Supervisor Education

Laboratory Supervisor Majors

Biology
19.5 %
Chemistry
16.5 %
Medical Technician
9.8 %

Laboratory Supervisor Degrees

Bachelors

61.6 %

Associate

15.6 %

Masters

11.4 %

Top Colleges for Laboratory Supervisors

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

Top Skills For a Laboratory Supervisor

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 10.8% of laboratory supervisors listed clinical laboratory on their resume, but soft skills such as problem-solving skills and time-management skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Laboratory Supervisor Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Laboratory Supervisor templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Laboratory Supervisor resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Laboratory Supervisor Resume
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Laboratory Supervisor Resume
Laboratory Supervisor Resume

Laboratory Supervisor diversity

Laboratory Supervisor Gender Distribution

Male
Male
53%
Female
Female
47%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among laboratory supervisors, 47.3% of them are women, while 52.7% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among laboratory supervisors is White, which makes up 53.9% of all laboratory supervisors.

  • The most common foreign language among laboratory supervisors is Spanish at 56.2%.

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Best States For a Laboratory Supervisor

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a laboratory supervisor. The best states for people in this position are California, Oregon, Nevada, and Connecticut. Laboratory supervisors make the most in California with an average salary of $88,008. Whereas in Oregon and Nevada, they would average $86,341 and $84,415, respectively. While laboratory supervisors would only make an average of $82,278 in Connecticut, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Nevada

Total Laboratory Supervisor Jobs: 167
Highest 10% Earn:
$128,000
Location Quotient:
1.04

$84,415

Avg. Salary

View 167 Laboratory Supervisor Jobs In NV

2. California

Total Laboratory Supervisor Jobs: 2,628
Highest 10% Earn:
$134,000
Location Quotient:
1.17

$88,008

Avg. Salary

View 2,628 Laboratory Supervisor Jobs In CA

3. Alaska

Total Laboratory Supervisor Jobs: 81
Highest 10% Earn:
$98,000
Location Quotient:
1.27

$80,985

Avg. Salary

View 81 Laboratory Supervisor Jobs In AK
Full List Of Best States For Laboratory Supervisors

How Do Laboratory Supervisors Rate Their Jobs?

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Laboratory Supervisor Reviews

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Top Laboratory Supervisor Employers

Most Common Employers For Laboratory Supervisor

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Walmart$105,186$50.5725
2Walgreens$99,921$48.0449
3Abbott$91,771$44.1213
4CVS Health$90,767$43.64965
5Costco Wholesale$87,766$42.2023
6Merck$85,898$41.3021
7American Red Cross$85,797$41.2547
8Quest Diagnostics$84,903$40.8228
9Kaiser Permanente$78,700$37.8418
10Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings$74,310$35.7368
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Updated April 6, 2023