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

What is a lead laboratory technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Benjamin Ford

Lab technicians assist scientists in conducting various experiments in the lab. They may also fill reports and prepare the space for an experiment. Lab Technicians usually report to a lab manager, medical technologist, or even a physician. In a lab where multiple lab technicians exist, a lead lab technician is employed to oversee other technicians in addition to some of the tasks listed above.

Laboratory technicians may work in various labs conducting experiments on animals, microorganisms, and other test subjects. Some tasks depend on the nature of the lab space. For example, lab technicians may analyze samples, clear and disinfect lab equipment, do inventory, handle chemicals, and interpret experimental results.

Lead laboratory technicians usually have an associate's degree in a relevant field and years of work experience. In some states, they may also be required to pass a licensure exam.

What general advice would you give to a lead laboratory technician?

Benjamin Ford

Professor and Chair, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Students graduating this year have come through a life-changing year. I'd encourage them to embrace that change. Rather than putting this year behind them and moving on, I'd like graduates to reflect on what worked and didn't work in the past year, and use that reflection to improve themselves and the world. This could be as simple as continuing to hone the time management skills we were all forced to develop, or as large as working to dismantle one of the structural inequalities that became glaringly apparent as nations struggled with health and economy.

ScoreLead Laboratory TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.2

Avg. Salary $54,230

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 12.04%

Black or African American 9.93%

Hispanic or Latino 17.58%

Unknown 5.14%

White 54.51%

Gender

female 41.84%

male 58.16%

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

Key steps to become a lead laboratory technician

Explore lead laboratory technician education requirements

Most common lead laboratory technician degrees

Bachelor's

55.2 %

Associate

21.3 %

High School Diploma

11.0 %

Start to develop specific lead laboratory technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	11.94%
Lab Equipment	10.64%
Customer Service	9.13%
Ongoing Maintenance	5.28%
Patient Care	4.34%

Complete relevant lead laboratory technician training and internships

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

Research lead laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Manage patient, and corporate information with compassion and confidentiality.
Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments.
Assist with FDA and OSHA audits, coordinate the center for all audits and inspections.
Accession patient information, doctor information, and testing information accurately and promptly into the NovoPath LIS system.

Get lead laboratory technician experience

Generally, it takes 6-12 months to become a lead laboratory technician. The most common roles before becoming a lead laboratory technician include laboratory technician, research assistant team lead and internship.

Prepare your lead laboratory technician resume

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

Build a professional lead 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 lead laboratory technician resume.