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

What is a pathological technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Ivica Labuda

Pathologists work behind the scenes in the medical field to make diagnoses and study the progress of diseases. However, they do not work alone but have a team of lab workers to support them. Pathological technicians assist pathologists in diagnosing and analyzing various medical conditions.

The pathological technician in a lab does a variety of jobs to help the pathologist with their workload. They prepare samples, examine them using lab equipment, and record lab results. Pathological technicians also make sure that lab equipment is working properly--it would be difficult to examine specimens if all the microscopes failed. If they work for a forensic pathologist, the pathological technician could even help with autopsies and crime scenes.

Just because the pathological technician assists the pathologist does not mean that they are not a highly skilled professional. Many pathological technicians have associate's or bachelor's degrees in biology or lab sciences. They also have extensive lab experience, especially with specialized equipment and processes.

What general advice would you give to a pathological technician?

Ivica Labuda

Professor and Director, Georgetown University Medical Center

You can find what is "you" in any profession. Love what you do and always learn new skills. Look for an opportunity where your personality and talents intersect.

ScorePathological TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,684

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 11.97%

Black or African American 9.63%

Hispanic or Latino 17.31%

Unknown 5.12%

White 55.17%

Gender

female 67.21%

male 32.79%

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 pathological technician

Explore pathological technician education requirements

Most common pathological technician degrees

Bachelor's

69.4 %

Associate

18.6 %

Master's

4.0 %

Start to develop specific pathological technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Clinical Laboratory	12.41%
Patients	11.11%
Specimen Handling	9.09%
Chemistry	4.49%
Data Entry	3.93%

Complete relevant pathological technician training and internships

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

Research pathological technician duties and responsibilities

Recognize & investigate instrument malfunctions, perform calibrations, manage QC, and maintain comprehensive written records of tests & procedures.
Perform manual IHC staining protocols or prepare slides send to remote lab for IHC staining.
Cut tissue specimens using a microtome, mount and stain slides for examination.
Assign patients to correct diagnosis-relate groups.

Prepare your pathological technician resume

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

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