Clinical Laboratory Technologist Jobs
Training and Education Jobs and Salaries
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians hold over 300,000 jobs. More than half of jobs are in hospitals. Most of the remaining jobs are in offices of physicians and in medical and diagnostic laboratories. A small proportion of jobs is in educational services and in all other ambulatory health care services.
Rapid job growth and excellent job opportunities are expected for clinical laboratory technologists. Most jobs will continue to be in hospitals, but employment will grow faster in other settings. Employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow fourteen percent between 2006 and 2016, faster than the average for all occupations. The volume of laboratory tests continues to increase with both population growth and the development of new types of tests. Technological advances will continue to have opposing effects on employment. On the one hand, new, increasingly powerful diagnostic tests will encourage additional testing and spur employment. On the other, research and development efforts targeted at simplifying routine testing procedures may enhance the ability of nonlaboratory personnel, physicians and patients in particular, to perform tests now conducted in laboratories.
Although hospitals are expected to continue to be the major employer of clinical laboratory workers, employment is expected to grow faster in medical and diagnostic laboratories, offices of physicians, and all other ambulatory health care services. Job opportunities are expected to be excellent because the number of job openings is expected to continue to exceed the number of job seekers. Although significant, job growth will not be the only source of opportunities. As in most occupations, many additional openings will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations, retire, or stop working for some other reason.
Median annual wage and salary earnings of medical and clinical laboratory technologists are above $49,000. The middle 50 percent earn between $41,500 and $58,500. The lowest 10 percent earn less than $34,500, and the highest 10 percent earn more than $69,000. Median annual wage and salary earnings of medical and clinical laboratory technicians are about $33,000. The middle 50 percent earn between $26,000 and $41,000. The lowest 10 percent earn less than $22,000, and the highest 10 percent earn more than $50,000.
Working conditions vary with the size and type of employment setting. Laboratories usually are well lighted and clean; however, specimens, solutions, and reagents used in the laboratory sometimes produce fumes. Laboratory workers may spend a great deal of time on their feet. Hours of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians vary with the size and type of employment setting. In large hospitals or in independent laboratories that operate continuously, personnel usually work the day, evening, or night shift and may work weekends and holidays. Laboratory personnel in small facilities may work on rotating shifts, rather than on a regular shift. In some facilities, laboratory personnel are on call several nights a week or on weekends, in case of an emergency.