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Senior laboratory technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior laboratory technician. Senior laboratory technicians usually study biology, chemistry, or business. 64% of senior laboratory technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,886 real senior laboratory technician resumes to see exactly what senior laboratory technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior laboratory technicians are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

There are also many online senior laboratory technician courses to help get the education required to be a senior laboratory technician.

There are certain senior laboratory technician certifications that you should consider. These senior laboratory technician certifications include Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT(AAB)) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

What education do you need to become a senior laboratory technician?

What degree do you need to be a senior laboratory technician?

The most common degree for senior laboratory technicians is bachelor's degree, with 64% of senior laboratory technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a senior laboratory technician?

You should major in biology to become a senior laboratory technician. 34% of senior laboratory technicians major in biology. Other common majors for a senior laboratory technician include chemistry and business.

Most common colleges for senior laboratory technicians

Senior laboratory technicians often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for senior laboratory technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Senior laboratory technician common collegePercentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey13.79%
Pennsylvania State University8.05%
University of Florida6.44%
University of Wisconsin Colleges6.44%
University of Massachusetts Boston5.29%

Best majors for senior laboratory technicians

Best colleges for senior laboratory technicians

The best colleges for senior laboratory technicians are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and New York University.

A senior laboratory technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior laboratory technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become senior laboratory technicians.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Vermont

Burlington, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$18,276

Enrollment

10,612

7. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

10. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

20 best online courses for senior laboratory technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior laboratory technicians

The most affordable schools for senior laboratory technicians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for senior laboratory technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for senior laboratory technicians.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior laboratory technicians

The hardest universities for senior laboratory technicians to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and New York University.

Some great schools for senior laboratory technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for senior laboratory technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior laboratory technicians

The easiest schools for senior laboratory technicians to get into are Barry University, adventhealth university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior laboratory technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for senior laboratory technicians.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

3. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

Average senior laboratory technician salary by education level

Senior laboratory technicians with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $56,171 annually. With a Doctorate degree, senior laboratory technicians earn a median annual income of $55,407 compared to $54,255 for senior laboratory technicians with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior laboratory technician education levelSenior laboratory technician salary
Master's Degree$56,171
High School Diploma or Less$41,678
Bachelor's Degree$54,255
Doctorate Degree$55,407
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,870

Senior laboratory technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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