State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Histology Technician Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Histology Technicians is $62,930 a year ($30.26/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 1.7% through 2034, with about 22,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 29-2012Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $62,930
- Projected growth
- +1.7%
- Openings a year
- 22,600
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Clinical Histology Technician (Clinical Histology Tech), Histologic Technician (HT), Histologist, Histology Consultant, Histology Coordinator, Histology Technician (HT).
How much do Histology Technicians make?
10th percentile$38,910
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$47,650
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$62,930
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$81,450
Upper quartile
90th percentile$100,990
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $62,930 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $30.26/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $67,350 |
| People employed | 332,940 |
Versus all US occupations
At $62,930, Histology Technicians earn 23% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $11,950 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870, this is 36% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $100,990 or more while the bottom 10% earn $38,910, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New York pays the most at $97,280, and still leads at $90,140 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Histology Technicians the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $97,280 | $90,140 | 16,460 |
| Oregon | $83,010 | $80,311 | 2,660 |
| New Hampshire | $81,020 | $77,780 | 800 |
| Massachusetts | $79,120 | $74,813 | 10,850 |
| Vermont | $78,680 | $80,320 | 460 |
| District of Columbia | $76,560 | $69,663 | 960 |
| California | $76,010 | $68,651 | 29,210 |
| Rhode Island | $75,780 | $74,091 | 1,060 |
| Minnesota | $74,440 | $75,481 | 7,190 |
| Washington | $72,760 | $67,992 | 7,430 |
Is Histology Technician a growing career?
Histology Technicians1.7%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.7% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Histology Technicians to change 1.7% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 6,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 22,600 openings are projected each year, 6.4% of the 351,200 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 22,600 openings for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
An increase in the population of older adults is expected to lead to a greater need for diagnosing medical conditions, such as cancer or type 2 diabetes, through laboratory procedures. Genetic testing also is being increasingly used to aid the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians will be in demand to perform these laboratory tests and procedures. However, the increasing automation of laboratory workflows may dampen employment demand.
How to become a Histology Technician
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. Technicians sometimes qualify for jobs with an associate’s degree. Some states require technologists and technicians to be licensed. Employers may prefer to hire candidates who have certification.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as histology technicians.
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)48.0%
- Post-Secondary Certificate16.0%
- High School Diploma12.0%
- Some College Courses12.0%
- Bachelor's Degree4.0%
What does a Histology Technician do?
Prepare histological slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnosis by pathologists. May assist with research studies.
Clinical laboratory technologists (also known as medical laboratory scientists) and clinical laboratory technicians (also known as medical laboratory technicians) perform medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Day-to-day tasks
- Cut sections of body tissues for microscopic examination, using microtomes.
- Embed tissue specimens into paraffin wax blocks, or infiltrate tissue specimens with wax.
- Mount tissue specimens on glass slides.
- Stain tissue specimens with dyes or other chemicals to make cell details visible under microscopes.
- Maintain laboratory equipment, such as microscopes, mass spectrometers, microtomes, immunostainers, tissue processors, embedding centers, and water baths.
- Archive diagnostic material, such as histologic slides and blocks.
- Freeze tissue specimens.
- Operate computerized laboratory equipment to dehydrate, decalcify, or microincinerate tissue samples.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where histology technicians work
| General medical and surgical hospitals; private | 37% |
|---|---|
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | 20% |
| Offices of physicians | 10% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 5% |
| Other ambulatory healthcare services | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.5/5
- Critical Thinking3.5/5
- Reading Comprehension3.4/5
- Monitoring3.3/5
- Speaking3.1/5
- Science3.1/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Active Learning2.9/5
Transferable skills
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Operations Monitoring2.9/5
- Operation and Control2.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.6/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Label making software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Histology Technician?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.3
Investigativeprimary5.4
Artistic1.3
Social2.1
Enterprising1.0
Conventionalprimary5.0
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Histology Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Histology Technicians make?
Histology Technicians earn a median of $62,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 23% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $30.26/hr. The middle half earn between $47,650 and $81,450. The top 10% earn $100,990 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Histology Technician?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Histology Technicians, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 48.0% hold associate's degree (or other 2-year degree).
Is Histology Technician a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.7% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 22,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Histology Technician do?
Clinical laboratory technologists (also known as medical laboratory scientists) and clinical laboratory technicians (also known as medical laboratory technicians) perform medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. A core O*NET task: cut sections of body tissues for microscopic examination, using microtomes. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Medical software.
Which states pay Histology Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Histology Technicians are New York ($97,280), Oregon ($83,010), New Hampshire ($81,020) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Histology Technician?
O*NET scores Histology Technicians highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.