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

What is a sample prep technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A Sample Prep Technician is responsible for preparing samples for laboratory tests. Your duty in this position includes logging submitted samples and sorting them before testing. You are also in charge of keeping samples in perfect condition by monitoring the temperature of refrigerators where samples are kept.

A sample prep technician also oversees sample collection and returning and archiving of the tested sample. You may also be required to prepare and calibrate laboratory testing equipment such as weights and balances, syringes, pipettes, glassware, chemical solvent, and so on. You will also carry out equipment repair and maintenance and ensure adherence to health, safety, and quality guidelines in laboratory procedures.

Sample prep technicians typically study biology, chemistry, and other science courses or have a degree in laboratory science. A high school diploma may be sufficient for some employers. You are expected to be organized, meticulous, and detail-oriented. Sample prep technicians are also expected to be safety-sensitive and have a sound knowledge of laboratory procedures. Averagely, Sample prep technicians earn $30,000 per year.

ScoreSample Prep TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,504

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.98%

Asian 10.47%

Black or African American 9.56%

Hispanic or Latino 16.90%

Unknown 5.68%

White 56.41%

Gender

female 32.40%

male 67.60%

Age - 35

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 - 35

Stress level

4.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sample prep technician

Explore sample prep technician education requirements

Most common sample prep technician degrees

Bachelor's

45.2 %

High School Diploma

25.2 %

Associate

17.2 %

Start to develop specific sample prep technician skills

Skills	Percentages
QC	12.30%
Lab Equipment	10.46%
AA	10.34%
Safety Regulations	6.92%
Sample Prep	6.30%

Complete relevant sample prep technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sample prep 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 sample prep technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sample prep technician resumes.

Research sample prep technician duties and responsibilities

Assist in managing technical and regulatory site visits to the laboratory and interface with QA and RA on all vendor/regulatory audits.
Maintain cleanliness of car wash.
Certify weights of shipments of grain and shipping containers according to USDA regulations.
Perform quality control (QC) testing of environmental samples within assign sample batches.

Prepare your sample prep technician resume

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

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