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

Q: How long does it take to become a Laboratory Technician?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a laboratory technician. That is the time it takes to learn specific laboratory technician skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 6 to 8 years years to become a laboratory technician.

Q: How much money does a lab technician make an hour?

The amount of money lab technicians make per hour is between $15.00 and $30.00. These hourly wages reflect both the experience of the candidate as well as the type of work environment. Entry-level technicians working outside of a medical lab earn an average of $15.00 per hour. These technicians may be working in a private lab, conducting tests, or gathering data for a private company. Technicians working in medical labs earn an entry-level hourly wage of $19.00 per hour.

Q: Is being a lab technician a good career?

Yes, being a lab technician is a good career. This is because being a lab technician pays well and requires minimal specialized education. An entry-level salary for a lab technician averages $20,000 to $25,000. These salaries reflect a candidate with minimal education and experience. The average technician makes approximately $41,000 a year.

Q: What career path is a lab technician?

The Career Path of a Lab Technician is: The medical field; working in a hospital lab running tests and recording data Industrial setting; processing data in an office setting Outdoor setting; conducting environmental tests on soil and water

Q: What degree do you need to have to be a clinical lab technician?

You need to have a minimum of an associate's degree to be a clinical lab technician. In other cases, you may also need certifications along with a degree. These requirements vary among the state in which you are seeking employment and the individual employer.

What is a laboratory technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dan Little Ph.D.,

Xenia Morin Ph.D.

A laboratory technician performs various laboratory tests and procedures to assist doctors and scientists in diagnosing and treating diseases. They collect and analyze samples, operate laboratory equipment, maintain records of test results, and ensure that the laboratory is safe. They typically have a degree in a related field such as biology, chemistry, or medical technology, and are skilled in using complex scientific instruments. A laboratory technician plays an important role in healthcare and scientific research.

What general advice would you give to a laboratory technician?

Dan Little Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Ohio Dominican University

Due to the pandemic, it will likely be more complicated than usual to find a job right away in the current economic situation. Companies are probably weighing the pros and cons of remaining open at all right now, so the prospect of filling vacant positions is secondary. But don't panic! Keep in touch with as many contacts as possible. Personal connections can be the best path to unexpected career opportunities.

ScoreLaboratory TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $40,038

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 12.02%

Black or African American 10.18%

Hispanic or Latino 17.52%

Unknown 5.13%

White 54.35%

Gender

female 46.73%

male 53.27%

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

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.7

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a laboratory technician?

Pros

Good salary and benefits
Contribute to important scientific research
Room for growth and advancement within the field
Job stability and security
Opportunities for specialization within the field

Cons

Exposure to potentially hazardous materials and chemicals
Long hours of standing or sitting
May require weekend or evening hours
Possibility of experiencing ethical dilemmas related to research or testing practices
Work can be highly regulated, leading to limited flexibility in procedures or processes

Key steps to become a laboratory technician

Explore laboratory technician education requirements

Most common laboratory technician degrees

Bachelor's

61.5 %

Associate

18.0 %

High School Diploma

8.6 %

Start to develop specific laboratory technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	16.77%
Lab Equipment	7.95%
Customer Service	5.80%
Basic Math	4.49%
Test Results	4.43%

Complete relevant laboratory technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New laboratory technicians 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 technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real laboratory technician resumes.

Research laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Lead aerobic, anaerobic and UV light testing, chemical residue testing and centrifuge to separate chemicals from water.
Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Analyze and paid attention to detail as well as demonstrated excellent organization skills, manual dexterity and good eyesight.
Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate with EKG equipment and notify physician is something appears to be wrong.

Prepare your laboratory technician resume

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

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a laboratory technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable laboratory technician resume templates

Build a professional laboratory technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your laboratory technician resume.

Apply for laboratory technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a laboratory technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first laboratory technician job

Kimberly Sikorski

Laboratory Technician

My story is not typical and a bit of a tele novella, so BUCKLE UP ! 🤣. I’ve been typing this in between phone calls and emails. Hope there aren’t too many errors. Have to send it right now though, I have an appointment I can’t miss !
From an early age of 4 or 5 I’ve been drawn to science and math. When I was 8 I asked for a telescope for my birthday and at age 10 I asked for a microscope (just an added note here: unbeknownst to me , DNA heredity has only taken its greatest leaps and bounds recently, we have found out we are related to Copernicus, the astronomer and mathematician. I find it extremely interesting that I was so specifically drawn to the same ! ) My Mother was a high school Chemistry Teacher and instilled a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world in us. I attended Catholic school from Kindergarten through 12th grade. We did not have the programs back then as they do today in AP math and science(I graduated grade school in 1978.)
In both 7th and 8th grade out of a class of 62 students I was selected by my science teacher to participate in The Gifted and Talented program for Science and Math at Towson High School on Saturdays. Classes ran from 8:30 to 12 ( sometimes as late as 3pm for longer running labs.) In my Junior year of high school, I was selected by my math teacher to take the National High School Mathematics exam. I placed first out of the 12 students from my school who were chosen to participate. I was supposed to then go on to the State finals, but fell ill with bronchitis then pleurisy and missed 26 days of classes. (I had straight A’s that semester with a 98% average in Chemistry. ) In September 1983, I enrolled at Towson University intending to become a zoology major so I could pursue a veterinarian degree. My illness had gotten much worse just walking to classes from the student union took a colossal effort. That following July I was admitted to St Joseph’s Medical center with massive internal hemorrhaging. I had an ovarian cyst the size of a football which had been growing, exploding and bleeding for over a year. I had managed to earn a C in Biology 1, but the rest of my coursework suffered as I was severely ill. Faced with a chemistry teacher, Dr Uno Kask, who had such a thick German accent I could not understand a word he spoke AND a math teacher from India whose accent I also had difficulty with, ( btw I did NOT take “Math for the Sciences” …. I would NEVER have been able to use such a

How do laboratory technicians rate their job?

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1 star

Laboratory technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

Skill level required does not equate with salary offered - should be paid more.

Laboratory technician FAQs

What is a laboratory technician and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a laboratory technician?

What are the pros and cons of being a laboratory technician?

Laboratory technician career paths

Key steps to become a laboratory technician

Explore laboratory technician education requirements

Most common laboratory technician degrees

Start to develop specific laboratory technician skills

Complete relevant laboratory technician training and internships

Research laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Prepare your laboratory technician resume

Choose from 10+ customizable laboratory technician resume templates

Apply for laboratory technician jobs

How did you land your first laboratory technician job

Average laboratory technician salary

How do laboratory technicians rate their job?

Laboratory technician reviews

Laboratory technician FAQs

How long does it take to become a Laboratory Technician?

How much money does a lab technician make an hour?

Is being a lab technician a good career?

What career path is a lab technician?

What degree do you need to have to be a clinical lab technician?

Search for laboratory technician jobs

Laboratory technician jobs by state