How To Become A Molecular Technologist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a molecular technologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

As cliche as it may sound, science is everywhere. Everything we see, whether natural or man-made, is the way it is because of science. When you think about it, it is amazing how tiny molecules can band together to form great things. Normal microscopes might not even be enough to see them. We need powerful specifications in order to see them! Well, did you know that there is one job that requires you to work with molecules? Yes, the molecular technologist!

What molecular technologists do, in fact, is analyze laboratory samples. These samples may be blood, tissue, or any other item that may need analysis. Molecular technologists keep and maintain a record of the laboratory. They are also expected to know how to do basic maintenance and repair of the different equipment.

If you are organized and have great analytical skills, being a molecular technologist would be a good career for you. Of course, a passion for science would help you succeed!

ScoreMolecular TechnologistUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $54,483

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 15.02%

Black or African American 9.65%

Hispanic or Latino 16.82%

Unknown 5.24%

White 52.46%

Gender

female 57.97%

male 42.03%

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 molecular technologist

Explore molecular technologist education requirements

Most common molecular technologist degrees

Bachelor's

71.7 %

Master's

14.3 %

Associate

9.4 %

Start to develop specific molecular technologist skills

Skills	Percentages
Clinical Laboratory	10.51%
Next-Generation Sequencing	9.78%
Molecular Biology	6.91%
CLIA	6.32%
Extraction	5.90%

Complete relevant molecular technologist training and internships

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

Research molecular technologist duties and responsibilities

Manage and maintain Tecan for automate pipetting.
Perform DNA and RNA isolation from blood, bone marrow, and tissue.
Perform PCR on patient samples for various genes and check for proper amplification using gel electrophoresis.
Follow the standard and newly add laboratory procedures and maintain compliance with OSHA, CLIA and safety risk management guidelines.

Prepare your molecular technologist resume

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

Choose from 10+ customizable molecular technologist resume templates

Build a professional molecular technologist 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 molecular technologist resume.