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.
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 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 29-2011Healthcare 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 Chemist, Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS), Clinical Laboratory Technologist, Histologist Technologist, Lab Tech (Laboratory Technologist), Medical Lab Technologist (Medical Laboratory Technologist).
How much do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 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, Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 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 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 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 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist a growing career?
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists1.7%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.7% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 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 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist
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) | Medium 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 medical and clinical laboratory technologists.
- Bachelor's Degree52.1%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)32.4%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate14.0%
- Some College Courses1.5%
What does a Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist do?
Perform complex medical laboratory tests for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May train or supervise staff.
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
- Analyze laboratory findings to check the accuracy of the results.
- Set up, clean, and maintain laboratory equipment.
- Enter data from analysis of medical tests or clinical results into computer for storage.
- Analyze samples of biological material for chemical content or reaction.
- Provide technical information about test results to physicians, family members, or researchers.
- Collect and study blood samples to determine the number of cells, their morphology, or their blood group, blood type, or compatibility for transfusion purposes, using microscopic techniques.
- Supervise, train, or direct lab assistants, medical and clinical laboratory technicians or technologists, or other medical laboratory workers engaged in laboratory testing.
- Operate, calibrate, or maintain equipment used in quantitative or qualitative analysis, such as spectrophotometers, calorimeters, flame photometers, or computer-controlled analyzers.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where medical and clinical laboratory technologists 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
- Science4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Active Listening3.9/5
- Reading Comprehension3.8/5
- Monitoring3.5/5
- Active Learning3.4/5
- Writing3.1/5
- Speaking3.1/5
Transferable skills
- Quality Control Analysis3.8/5
- Operations Monitoring3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Operation and Control3.4/5
- Time Management3.4/5
- Instructing3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0/5
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail 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 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.8
Investigativeprimary6.2
Artistic1.1
Social2.8
Enterprising1.5
Conventionalprimary5.0
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
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.
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists make?
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 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 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 52.1% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist 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 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist 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: analyze laboratory findings to check the accuracy of the results. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists the most?
The highest state medians for Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists are New York ($97,280), Oregon ($83,010), New Hampshire ($81,020) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologist?
O*NET scores Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. 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.