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 23, 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
The credential is HT(ASCP) from the ASCP Board of Certification, and the thing most sources get wrong is that it does not require a degree on every route. Route 1 is completion of a NAACLS-accredited histotechnician programme within the last 5 years, with no degree requirement attached. Route 2 requires 60 semester hours of college credit or an associate degree including 12 semester hours across biology and chemistry, plus a year of full-time histopathology laboratory experience or a structured programme of at least 9 months including at least 480 clinical hours. Most states license nobody in the laboratory; 11 jurisdictions do.
The credential path, step by step
- Understand where HT sits relative to HTL
The Board of Certification defines the histotechnician as preparing and processing tissue samples for routine histologic techniques: fixation, processing, embedding, microtomy and staining of human and animal tissue for a pathologist to examine. The histotechnologist, HTL, performs both routine and complex techniques including enzyme histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence, and is expected to be knowledgeable in pathology, management, education and regulation. HT can be entered without a degree; HTL requires a bachelor's on every route.
- Take Route 1 if you can: a NAACLS-accredited HT programme
Completion within the last 5 years is the whole requirement, and there were 39 NAACLS-accredited histotechnician programmes in 2025. The accreditation carries a shelf life: education from a NAACLS-accredited HT programme is acceptable for 5 years from the date of completion.
- Or build Route 2 out of credit hours plus experience
Route 2 needs 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of academic credit, or an associate degree, including a combination of 12 semester hours across biology and chemistry with credit in both. On top of that you need one of: 1 year of full-time acceptable clinical experience in a histopathology laboratory within the last 5 years; 1 year of acceptable veterinary, industry or research histopathology experience in the US or Canada within the last 5 years; or completion of a two-part structured histology programme of at least 9 months combining classroom training with a minimum of 480 hours of clinical experience. The experience must cover fixation, processing, embedding and microtomy, staining, and laboratory operations.
- Check that your laboratory counts
The BOC defines an acceptable laboratory as one holding a CMS CLIA certificate of registration, compliance or accreditation, or a Department of Defense CLIP certificate, or Joint Commission International accreditation, or accreditation under ISO 15189. A military route also exists: 60 semester hours or an associate degree with the same 12 science hours, plus a 50-week US military histotechnician training course within the last 10 years.
- Pass the HT(ASCP) examination
Computer adaptive, 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes at Pearson VUE. Questions cannot be skipped because the algorithm re-estimates your ability after each answer. Scores are reported on a scale of 100 to 999 with 400 as the passing score, so there is no fixed number or percentage of correct answers.
- Add a state credential only where your state has one
In most states there is nothing to apply for. New York certifies histotechnicians and accepts HT(ASCP) as one qualifying route; Florida licenses histology technicians and specifies HT(ASCP) directly; West Virginia licenses the title Histologist. California, despite having one of the most detailed laboratory personnel licensing schemes in the country, has no histotechnician or histotechnologist category at all.
Exams you have to pass
Histotechnician, HT(ASCP) (HT(ASCP))
Computer adaptive examination, 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, scored 100 to 999 with 400 to pass. Application fee $235. Three domestic eligibility routes: a NAACLS-accredited HT programme within 5 years; 60 semester hours or an associate degree with 12 semester hours across biology and chemistry plus a year of histopathology experience or a 9-month structured programme with at least 480 clinical hours; or the same academic credit plus a 50-week US military histotechnician course within 10 years.
Administered by ASCP Board of Certification, delivered at Pearson VUE.
- Program accreditation
NAACLS · National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Accreditation is not a legal requirement, but a NAACLS-accredited histotechnician programme is the only route to HT(ASCP) that needs no degree and no prior experience. NAACLS reported 39 accredited HT programmes in 2025, against 12 HTL programmes, out of 611 accredited programmes overall.
- How long the training takes
There is no single figure. The NAACLS-accredited programme route varies by institution, and the structured-programme alternative in Route 2 must run at least 9 months and include at least 480 hours of clinical experience. Route 2's experience option is a year of full-time work in a histopathology laboratory.
- Continuing education
Required to stay credentialed
Anyone certified on or after 1 January 2004 holds a three-year time-limited credential and must participate in the ASCP Credential Maintenance Program every three years. HT requires 36 points per cycle: 8 in histology, 1 in laboratory or patient safety, 1 in medical ethics and 26 in related laboratory, management or education areas. Points must be earned within the current cycle. The application fee is $110, with a $135 reinstatement fee on top if the credential has lapsed, and the BOC audits a share of declarations.
Licensing and state variation
Not a state license
Most states license no clinical laboratory personnel at all. The ASCP Board of Certification lists 11 jurisdictions that do: California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Puerto Rico. What they license differs. New York certifies histotechnicians under Subpart 79-16, accepting HT(ASCP) or HT(ASCPi), a West Virginia Histologist licence, or a NAACLS-accredited associate degree programme, with a converted examination score of at least 75. Florida licenses histology technicians and technologists by keying the requirement to the ASCP credential itself. West Virginia licenses the title Histologist and Nevada licenses a Histotechnologist. California licenses cytotechnologists but has no histotechnician category. Tennessee remains on the list but narrowed its law in 2021 to exempt hospital and independent laboratories. Note also that California and New York run state-licensure-only examinations through the ASCP BOC: passing one grants the state licence but not an ASCP credential.
Who governs the credential
- ASCP Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) — Awards the HT(ASCP) credential, sets its eligibility routes, and runs the Credential Maintenance Program that keeps it current.
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) — Accredits the histotechnician and histotechnology programmes that open the fastest eligibility routes to the ASCP examinations.
- New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions — Certifies histotechnicians in New York, where practising or using the title without certification is not permitted.
Credential detail for histology technicians is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- ASCP Board of Certification: Histotechnician, HT (eligibility routes and fees) · checked August 23, 2026
- ASCP Board of Certification: About the examination (adaptive format, scoring) · checked August 23, 2026
- ASCP Board of Certification: HT Credential Maintenance Program requirements · checked August 23, 2026
- ASCP Board of Certification: Participation in the Credential Maintenance Program · checked August 23, 2026
- ASCP Board of Certification: State licensure · checked August 23, 2026
- NAACLS Annual Report 2025 (accredited programme counts) · checked August 23, 2026
- New York State Education Department: Histotechnician certification requirements · checked August 23, 2026
- Florida Administrative Code 64B3-5.004 (clinical laboratory technician licensure) · checked August 23, 2026
- California Department of Public Health: Clinical laboratory personnel licence types · checked August 23, 2026
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
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.
Working conditions and hours
Most clinical laboratory technologists and technicians work full time. Because they may work in medical facilities that are always open, such as hospitals, they may have shifts that include nights, weekends, or holidays.
Where the work happens
- Indoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day
Working with people
- Face-to-face discussions every day
Pressure and stakes
- Meeting strict deadlines at least weekly
- Mistakes carry very serious consequences
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
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.
How long does it take to become a Histology Technician?
There is no single figure. The NAACLS-accredited programme route varies by institution, and the structured-programme alternative in Route 2 must run at least 9 months and include at least 480 hours of clinical experience. Route 2's experience option is a year of full-time work in a histopathology laboratory.
Do you need a license to work as a Histology Technician?
Not a state license. Most states license no clinical laboratory personnel at all. The ASCP Board of Certification lists 11 jurisdictions that do: California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Puerto Rico. What they license differs. New York certifies histotechnicians under Subpart 79-16, accepting HT(ASCP) or HT(ASCPi), a West Virginia Histologist licence, or a NAACLS-accredited associate degree programme, with a converted examination score of at least 75. Florida licenses histology technicians and technologists by keying the requirement to the ASCP credential itself. West Virginia licenses the title Histologist and Nevada licenses a Histotechnologist. California licenses cytotechnologists but has no histotechnician category. Tennessee remains on the list but narrowed its law in 2021 to exempt hospital and independent laboratories. Note also that California and New York run state-licensure-only examinations through the ASCP BOC: passing one grants the state licence but not an ASCP credential.
What exams and certifications apply to a Histology Technician?
The HT(ASCP) (Histotechnician, HT(ASCP)). Computer adaptive examination, 100 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, scored 100 to 999 with 400 to pass. Application fee $235. Three domestic eligibility routes: a NAACLS-accredited HT programme within 5 years; 60 semester hours or an associate degree with 12 semester hours across biology and chemistry plus a year of histopathology experience or a 9-month structured programme with at least 480 clinical hours; or the same academic credit plus a 50-week US military histotechnician course within 10 years.