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Technical laboratory specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a technical laboratory specialist. Technical laboratory specialists usually study biology, medical technician, or electrical engineering. 54% of technical laboratory specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 479 real technical laboratory specialist resumes to see exactly what technical laboratory specialist education sections show.

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

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

There are certain technical laboratory specialist certifications that you should consider. These technical laboratory specialist certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).

What education do you need to become a technical laboratory specialist?

What degree do you need to be a technical laboratory specialist?

The most common degree for technical laboratory specialists is bachelor's degree, with 54% of technical laboratory specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Master's, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a technical laboratory specialist?

You should major in biology to become a technical laboratory specialist. 17% of technical laboratory specialists major in biology. Other common majors for a technical laboratory specialist include medical technician and electrical engineering.

Most common colleges for technical laboratory specialists

Technical laboratory specialists often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Phoenix, and University of Louisville. Here are the most common colleges for technical laboratory specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Technical laboratory specialist common collegePercentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey9.43%
University of Phoenix9.43%
University of Louisville7.55%
Sul Ross State University5.66%
Virginia Commonwealth University5.66%

Best majors for technical laboratory specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Biology17.3%
2Medical Technician9.2%
3Electrical Engineering8.1%
4Business8.1%
5Chemistry8.1%

Best colleges for technical laboratory specialists

The best colleges for technical laboratory specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A technical laboratory specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for technical laboratory specialists. 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 technical laboratory specialists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for technical laboratory specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for technical laboratory specialists

The most affordable schools for technical laboratory specialists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for technical laboratory specialists 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 technical laboratory specialists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for technical laboratory specialists

The hardest universities for technical laboratory specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for technical laboratory specialists 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 technical laboratory specialists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

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. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

9. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for technical laboratory specialists

The easiest schools for technical laboratory specialists to get into are AdventHealth University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a technical laboratory specialist 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 technical laboratory specialists.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average technical laboratory specialist salary by education level

According to our data, technical laboratory specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $74,810 annually. Technical laboratory specialists with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $70,576.
Technical laboratory specialist education levelTechnical laboratory specialist salary
Master's Degree$74,810
High School Diploma or Less$54,640
Bachelor's Degree$62,749
Doctorate Degree$70,576
Some College/ Associate Degree$56,143

Technical laboratory specialist 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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