How To Become A Senior Clinical Laboratory Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior clinical laboratory scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Janice Conway-Klaassen Ph.D.

Every time you get a blood test in the hospital, you have clinical lab scientists to thank for your results. They specialize in detecting diseases in bodily fluids like blood and mucus. Their role in health care is critical because doctors can diagnose medical conditions much quicker and get to the treatments.

Clinical lab scientists use advanced equipment like microscopes and centrifuges. They also often use reagents to highlight the properties they're testing for. It is estimated that lab scientists help in diagnosing up to 60% of every medical condition.

A day in the life of a clinical lab scientist includes examining blood and fluid samples, conducting necessary tests and creating reports for physicians. Senior clinical lab scientists have additional responsibilities that involve overseeing their department's operation, supervising staff, and attending hospital meetings.

You need a bachelor's degree in medical technology or clinical laboratory science to practise. You also need certification from the practicing board in your state.

What general advice would you give to a senior clinical laboratory scientist?

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.

ScoreSenior Clinical Laboratory ScientistUS Average

Salary

6.3

Avg. Salary $80,617

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 18.18%

Black or African American 9.28%

Hispanic or Latino 15.97%

Unknown 5.05%

White 50.72%

Gender

female 57.43%

male 42.57%

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 senior clinical laboratory scientist

Explore senior clinical laboratory scientist education requirements

Most common senior clinical laboratory scientist degrees

Bachelor's

66.7 %

Master's

14.3 %

Certificate

6.0 %

Start to develop specific senior clinical laboratory scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patient Care	25.96%
Test Results	23.23%
Quality Control Procedures	14.02%
Critical Values	11.37%
Laboratory Procedures	2.45%

Complete relevant senior clinical laboratory scientist training and internships

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

Research senior clinical laboratory scientist duties and responsibilities

Manage the clinical NGS lab.
Monitor QC (Levy-Jennings) for trends, shifts.
Design and conduct experiments at a chemistry lab in order to monitor the continuous growing of a genetically modify bacterium.
Perform clinical tests involving HPLC analysis of patient specimens for drugs of abuse, antidepressants, and pain medications.

Get senior clinical laboratory scientist experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior clinical laboratory scientist. The most common roles before becoming a senior clinical laboratory scientist include clinical laboratory scientist, medical technologist team lead and laboratory technician.

Prepare your senior clinical laboratory scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior clinical laboratory scientist resume.

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