Medical Laboratory Technician Career & Jobs: Training, Salary & Certification Requirements

People that visit the doctor or hospital because of an undiagnosed illness or injury are often asked to submit blood or tissue samples to the laboratory so that they can be examined under a microscope and be subjected to various tests that will determine the presence of a virus or disease. However, doctors and nurses are not the ones that perform this laboratory examination. Medical laboratory technicians are responsible for using highly sophisticated equipment to determine if there is any infection, disease or other abnormalities in a patient’s sample. The medical laboratory technician is required to follow instructions of a supervising pathologist or laboratory specialists in order to perform accurate tests and determine results. It is essential that people in this profession have the ability to pay close attention to details and be able to communicate well with health professionals.

Salary Outlook

Average Annual Salary
$32,400
Salary Range
$24,700 - $38,300

Work Environment

Given their need for specialized equipment and access to patient samples, many medical laboratory technicians are employed in the labs of hospitals. However, it is not uncommon for medical laboratory technicians to also be employed at research universities, pharmaceutical companies, public health agencies, and the military.

High School Preparation

Those individuals that think they might like to pursue a career as a medical laboratory technician should spend their high school career advancing their knowledge of the sciences and the latest medical technologies. Supporting courses include mathematics, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, and physical education. It can also be helpful to received training in data entry, computer skills, and communications.

Requirements

Once they have graduated from high school, or received the approved equivalent, it is necessary for aspiring medical laboratory technicians to receive both classroom and clinical training at the collegiate level. This means that they should enroll in an accredited associate’s degree program that focuses on medical laboratory technology. Upon graduation from such a program, students are required to complete a national certification examination given by either the American Medical Technologists, the Board of Registry of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, or the National Certification Agency for Medical Laboratory Personnel

Career Outlook

Over the next couple of years, experts predict that there will be a healthy increase in the number of positions that are available for qualified medical laboratory technicians. One of the reasons for this ten to twenty percent increase is that there are more elderly people seeking continued treatments and medical attention than ever before. Medical laboratory technicians are needed to help hospitals and labs keep up with the large volume of work.

Professional Organizations

American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 530
Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (301) 657-2768
www.ascls.org