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

What is a medical laboratory specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Janice Conway-Klaassen Ph.D.

Medical laboratory specialists, often known as medical laboratory technicians, conduct tests on patient samples that help doctors determine what diseases a patient has. Specialists often work for the military, which has its own job titles that differ from civilian ones. Sometimes, labs will designate a medical laboratory specialist to supervise other technicians. They can work with blood samples, urine samples, or any other samples that doctors need to collect. Medical laboratory specialists are knowledgeable about different lab procedures to analyze samples. They are also able to collect samples from patients while maintaining a good bedside manner. Medical laboratory specialists also perform any other tasks needed to maintain the laboratory, such as cleaning equipment.

Medical laboratory specialists need to know how to handle specimens and perform tests. Most learn these skills at a community college or certificate program, although a few have a bachelor's degree.

Medical laboratory specialists also need a few years of professional experience working in a laboratory, for example as an assistant. Once they are qualified, they can earn $34,053 a year.

What general advice would you give to a medical laboratory specialist?

Janice Conway-Klaassen Ph.D.

Associate Professor & Director, Medical Laboratory Sciences Program, Mildred King Rohwer Chair in Medical Technology, University of Minnesota

Your first job may not be your dream job, but you may be surprised by what opportunities it provides. Keep your eyes and ears open for those opportunities.

ScoreMedical Laboratory SpecialistUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,304

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

9.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 10.95%

Black or African American 13.19%

Hispanic or Latino 17.13%

Unknown 5.11%

White 52.81%

Gender

female 43.83%

male 56.17%

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 medical laboratory specialist

Explore medical laboratory specialist education requirements

Most common medical laboratory specialist degrees

Bachelor's

40.8 %

Associate

32.8 %

Diploma

8.4 %

Start to develop specific medical laboratory specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	14.86%
Urinalysis	12.94%
Body Fluids	9.90%
Hematology	9.80%
Blood Specimens	8.76%

Complete relevant medical laboratory specialist training and internships

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

Research medical laboratory specialist duties and responsibilities

Assist in managing office functions through strong knowledge of PACS, Fuji CR, and EMR systems.
Complete classes in chemistry, blood bank, hematology, microbiology, serology, and parasitology.
Perform Phlebotomy procedures for collection of donor blood samples for laboratory testing.
Perform appropriate QC on equipment and specimens.

Prepare your medical laboratory specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical laboratory specialist 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 medical laboratory specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable medical laboratory specialist resume templates

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