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How to hire a pathological technician

Pathological technician hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring pathological technicians in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a pathological technician is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new pathological technician to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a pathological technician, step by step

To hire a pathological technician, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a pathological technician:

Here's a step-by-step pathological technician hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a pathological technician job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new pathological technician
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a pathological technician do?

Pathology technicians, or sometimes referred to as pathology assistants, are professionals who assist pathologists review specimens and tissue samples by utilizing microscopes and other complex lab equipment. These technicians are required to audit lab equipment in the inventory system and provide minor maintenance and calibrations on the lab equipment to avoid errors in test results. They are required to evaluate laboratory test results and record known control values from technical instruments to ensure reliability. Pathological technicians must also handle and organize blood samples taken for pharmacological studies.

Learn more about the specifics of what a pathological technician does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The pathological technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect pathological technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    The following list breaks down different types of pathological technicians and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Pathological TechnicianDescriptionHourly rate
    Pathological TechnicianMedical laboratory technologists (commonly known as medical laboratory scientists) and medical laboratory technicians collect samples and perform tests to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances.$17-33
    Laboratory AideA laboratory aide is primarily responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and order in laboratories, all while performing support tasks for scientists. Their duties revolve around arranging specimens and samples, transporting materials from one laboratory to another, preparing apparatuses and machines, and storing them accordingly... Show more$9-18
    Laboratory CoordinatorA laboratory coordinator is responsible for supporting laboratory examinations and experiments, collecting laboratory samples, and ensuring the efficiency and performance of laboratory tools and equipment. Laboratory coordinators maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the laboratory facility at all times to avoid contaminations and hazards that may affect laboratory results and accuracy of examinations... Show more$18-34
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Clinical Laboratory
    • Patients
    • Specimen Handling
    • Chemistry
    • Data Entry
    • Test Results
    • Lab Equipment
    • Biological Samples
    • LIS
    • Surgical Pathology
    • Frozen Sections
    • FDA
    • QC
    • Cleanliness
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Maintain and operate laboratory equipment and commendably troubleshoot and resolve an assortment of laboratory testing analyzers and perform diverse chemical tests.
    • Emb and cut using manual and semi-automate microtomes.
    More pathological technician duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your pathological technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A pathological technician can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, pathological technicians' average salary in kentucky is 40% less than in alaska.
    • Seniority. Entry-level pathological technicians 48% less than senior-level pathological technicians.
    • Certifications. A pathological technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a pathological technician's salary.

    Average pathological technician salary

    $50,684yearly

    $24.37 hourly rate

    Entry-level pathological technician salary
    $36,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 22, 2026

    Average pathological technician salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$64,658$31
    2Arizona$57,879$28
    3New Hampshire$57,822$28
    4Washington$57,381$28
    5Nevada$56,873$27
    6Hawaii$55,504$27
    7Rhode Island$55,368$27
    8Florida$54,902$26
    9Pennsylvania$54,192$26
    10New York$52,576$25
    11Utah$51,781$25
    12Ohio$50,773$24
    13Illinois$50,152$24
    14North Dakota$49,048$24
    15Wisconsin$48,121$23
    16Texas$47,701$23
    17Maryland$45,577$22
    18Michigan$44,686$21
    19Minnesota$44,270$21
    20Tennessee$43,726$21

    Average pathological technician salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Battelle$66,660$32.052
    2Methodist Health System$60,600$29.1328
    3Moffitt Cancer Center$60,469$29.0712
    4Mount Sinai Health System$60,354$29.0228
    5Northwell Health$59,469$28.5973
    6Baystate Health$58,891$28.3111
    7Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings$57,721$27.75440
    8Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center$57,388$27.593
    9Memorial Healthcare System$56,504$27.17
    10Caris Life Sciences$56,501$27.161
    11Beaumont Health$56,042$26.94
    12Adventist HealthCare$55,851$26.859
    13Northwestern Medicine$55,014$26.4549
    14Queens Health Systems$54,939$26.4113
    15Memorial Health$54,481$26.1926
    16Clark County$53,928$25.93
    17Mayo Clinic$53,579$25.76127
    18Miriam Hospital$52,532$25.26
    19Memorial Hospital$52,254$25.1219
    20University of Washington$51,614$24.8134
  4. Writing a pathological technician job description

    A pathological technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a pathological technician job description:

    Pathological technician job description example

    Piper Companies is looking to identify a candidate for a Pathology Technician I/II position in Gaithersburg, MD . The Pathology Technician I/II will be working within a well-established Research Organization providing hands-on technical support to various ongoing scientific studies.

    Responsibilities of the Pathology Technician I/II
    • Responsible for reviewing study protocol and assisting in day-to-day activities involving necropsy of animal models including nonhuman primates, mice, and rabbits in order to support scientific investigations and animal research studies.
    • Will be working within a GLP laboratory performing techniques that are supportive of the intended research provided in the approved protocol.
    • Provide hands-on technical support to all sample processes including necropsies, prosection of multiple species, preparing stains and fixative, generating study forms, as well as will get the opportunity to receive extensive training in various technical procedures including c-sections and various fetal examinations (externals, viscerals, heads, and skeletals) for DART.
    Qualifications of the Pathology Technician I/II :
    • Holds a bachelor's degree in a Scientific Research Field preferred but not required
    • Experience in one or more of the following: necropsy, tissue extraction, tissue harvest, etc. is required to be considered at a level II and up.
    Compensation for the Pathology Technician I/II :
    • Salary: $20/hr.-$26/hr. and u p (negotiable with commensurate experience)
    • Benefits: Medical, Health, Dental, Vision, 401k,
    Keywords:Pathology Technician, necropsies, Dart, Animal Tech, Research Technician, studies, Micro pipetting, GLP, cell culture, Elisa, influenza, vaccine therapies, plaque assays, viral load, PRNP, neutralization assays, pipetting, Live bleeds, monkeys, mice, pigs, ferrets, nonhuman primates, ferrets, mice, gunnie pigs, animal research, NHP, tissue extraction, c-sections and various fetal examinations, externals, viscerals, heads, and skeletal, immunology, immunogen, samples, blood samples, dissecting, in-vivo, assay, standard operation procedures, sop, molecular, tissues, cells, replicate, biology, molecules, molecular technician, medical, dental, vision, 401k, pto
  5. Post your job

    To find the right pathological technician for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with pathological technicians they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit pathological technicians who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your pathological technician job on Zippia to find and recruit pathological technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit pathological technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new pathological technician

    Once you've selected the best pathological technician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new pathological technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a pathological technician?

Hiring a pathological technician comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting pathological technicians involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of pathological technician recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for pathological technicians is $50,684 in the US. However, the cost of pathological technician hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a pathological technician for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $17 and $33 an hour.

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