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Laboratory technician skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Rainer Glaser,
Shelley Minteer Ph.D.
Laboratory technician example skills

When you think of skills necessary for a laboratory technician, the first things that come to mind are probably hard skills or technical skills. And these are, of course, incredibly important to have a good grasp on. Things like familiarity with using lab equipment, reading test results, and following OSHA requirements are good examples of necessary hard skills for laboratory technicians.


However, laboratory technicians also need to possess a number of soft skills to successfully conduct their duties. Customer service ranks surprisingly high on the list of soft skills that market themselves well on laboratory technician resumes, as does dexterity and accuracy.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical laboratory technician skills. We ranked the top skills for laboratory technicians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.8% of laboratory technician resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a laboratory technician needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 laboratory technician skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how laboratory technicians use patients:
  • Provided detailed reports on concentrations of key antigens or antibody responses to determine infection/exposure status of patients and experimental animals.
  • Maintained billing and insurance data management systems resulting in easier interactions with insurance companies and patients.

2. Lab Equipment

Here's how laboratory technicians use lab equipment:
  • Assisted and advised other lab workers, performed maintenance/repair of lab equipment and ordered laboratory supplies as required.
  • Prepared lab chemicals, performed preservative analysis using HPLC, prepared reports and calibrated lab equipment.

3. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how laboratory technicians use customer service:
  • Provided high-level customer service to medical hospital and laboratory vendors, insure order accuracy and resolved problems with corrective actions.
  • Assist in managing retail operations to ensure lab and retail departments work effectively together in achieving customer service excellence.

4. Basic Math

Here's how laboratory technicians use basic math:
  • Performed basic mathematical calculations and data manipulations, which require the use of a computer or calculator.
  • Utilized basic mathematical calculations to obtain results of analyses.

5. Test Results

Here's how laboratory technicians use test results:
  • Performed routine and complex microbiological laboratory tests in the Infectious Disease Division to provide rapid and accurate laboratory test results.
  • Recognize atypical or out-of-specifications test results, instruments malfunctions and methodology problems and have participated in the investigation to resolve.

6. Math

Here's how laboratory technicians use math:
  • Tutored students in math, science, and computer classes on a walk-in and scheduled basis with marked improvement in scores.
  • Job includes significant amount of simple math, split core samples from the pit, dried and split samples from mill.

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7. OSHA

Here's how laboratory technicians use osha:
  • Ensured efficient laboratory function by complying with OSHA regulations, updating supplies inventories, maintaining organization and monitoring apparatus.
  • Verified inventory of laboratory chemicals and assured storage of volatile compounds, meeting OSHA guidelines.

8. Dexterity

Here's how laboratory technicians use dexterity:
  • Required hands and eye dexterity, and mental concentration.
  • Perform extraction of blood and urine using thin-layer chromatographic and ELISA techniques requiring considerable manual dexterity.

9. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how laboratory technicians use data entry:
  • Performed data entry to label and process laboratory specimens and recorded and sometimes interpreted results to senior colleagues.
  • Maintain accurate and timely data entry by utilizing the Laboratory Information Management System and Epic Pro databases.

10. Ct Scan

Here's how laboratory technicians use ct scan:
  • Manufactured radio-chemical and radio-pharmaceutical products to be used in PET and CT scans.
  • Operate CT scanner in association with steady state tests.

11. Phlebotomy

Here's how laboratory technicians use phlebotomy:
  • Performed age appropriate phlebotomy while working with critically or terminally ill patients, with careful respect for individual and/or cultural concerns.
  • Performed phlebotomy procedures to obtain high quality of specimen integrity, while ensuring sterility and safety of the patient.

12. Lab Procedures

Here's how laboratory technicians use lab procedures:
  • Interpreted data and provided recommendations that would improve and evaluate current lab procedures and implementing innovative designs in future testing analysis.
  • Work includes practicing accurate measurements while being aware of contamination in addition to practicing safe and responsible lab procedures.

13. Microbiology

Here's how laboratory technicians use microbiology:
  • Performed routine specimen processing, analysis and resulting of hematology, microbiology, chemistry, urinalysis, serology and blood samples.
  • Proposed and initiated restructuring of Diagnostic Microbiology laboratory curriculum by using classical and Rapid microbiological techniques for the medical students.

14. AA

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an association of people who share their personal experiences and problems regarding the use of alcohol, and how it has affected their lives. It is a community of men and women who share a common problem and find ways to help each other in battling alcoholism. AA is a self-supporting community that is not acquainted with any religion, sect, or political party.

Here's how laboratory technicians use aa:
  • Experience running two ICP-OES instruments simultaneously, AA and AF mercury analyzers, and discrete analyzers, using WinLab software.
  • Performed wet chemistry analysis and instrumentation analyses that included ICP, AA, GC, FTIR and IC.

15. Troubleshoot

Troubleshooting is the process of analyzing and fixing any kind of problem in a system or a machine. Troubleshooting is the detailed yet quick search in the system for the main source of an issue and solving it.

Here's how laboratory technicians use troubleshoot:
  • Maintain and operate laboratory equipment and commendably troubleshoot and resolved an assortment of laboratory testing analyzers and performed diverse chemical tests.
  • Assemble test apparatus and correctly operate, understand how to troubleshoot all equipment/ Instrumentation necessary to support testing.
top-skills

What skills help Laboratory Technicians find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on laboratory technician resumes?

Dr. Rainer GlaserDr. Rainer Glaser LinkedIn profile

Professor and Chair, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Chemistry competence is key, of course. As a close second, chemists need to demonstrate effective team player competence. Communication skills are essential, in conversation and in writing. Effective collaboration requires highly developed skills to work with team members, peers, and leadership.

What soft skills should all laboratory technicians possess?

Shelley Minteer Ph.D.

Dale and Susan Poulter Endowed Chair in Biological Chemistry, Associate Chair of Chemistry, University of Utah

The most important soft skills are communication and people management skills. It is critical to be strong in both oral and written communication.

What hard/technical skills are most important for laboratory technicians?

Dr. Luis Rogelio Cruz-Vera

Associate Professor, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Pipetting, quantitative analysis, computer writing.

What laboratory technician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D.Gerald Bergtrom Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Biological Sciences (Emeritus) & Teaching & Learning Consultant, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The answers here depend on why the gap year is needed. If the need is to have an income, this would need to be balanced against other desirable needs and wishes.
- Thinking about a whole gap year, the student should make a long-term commitment to skills improvement and fill in gaps in a resume or job application.
-If the new graduate can afford it, spend some time traveling, to be exposed to different cultures and languages. If the student lives in an area with a growing LatinX population, learning some Spanish would be useful.
-If it looks like the gap year will not include activities related to the job they hope to get at the end of the year, then take at least one STEM course in their area of interest so as not to lose their edge. This could be an online course (for example, a MOOC). Do it for credit if necessary, to prove (to themselves and others) that they still love and want to succeed in science.

What type of skills will young laboratory technicians need?

Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D.Dr. Brian Augustine Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor of Chemistry and Chair, High Point University

Students always need foundational technical skills. In addition to skills specific to chemistry and biochemistry, strong communication and interpersonal skills such as writing, speaking, and collaboration are vital, as are quantitative reasoning skills such as data analytics, statistical analysis, and programming.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about laboratory technician

List of laboratory technician skills to add to your resume

Laboratory technician skills

The most important skills for a laboratory technician resume and required skills for a laboratory technician to have include:

  • Patients
  • Lab Equipment
  • Customer Service
  • Basic Math
  • Test Results
  • Math
  • OSHA
  • Dexterity
  • Data Entry
  • Ct Scan
  • Phlebotomy
  • Lab Procedures
  • Microbiology
  • AA
  • Troubleshoot
  • Ongoing Maintenance
  • Specimen Handling
  • Strong Customer Service
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Preventive Maintenance
  • EKG
  • GMP
  • UV
  • Pathogens
  • PCR
  • CLIA
  • Hematology
  • ISO
  • Dentures
  • Lims
  • PH Meter
  • Sample Preparation
  • R
  • Proficiency Testing
  • Wet Chemistry
  • Data Analysis
  • FDA
  • Test Equipment
  • Data Collection
  • PowerPoint
  • Lab Tests
  • Prosthetics
  • Routine Maintenance
  • Test Data
  • Laboratory Instruments
  • Aseptic Technique
  • Test Methods
  • Cell Culture
  • DNA

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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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