What Does an Electron Microscopy Technician Do?
Electron microscopy technicians preserve tissue and other samples chemically, set them in resin and slice them thinner than a wavelength of light, so researchers can see detail a light microscope cannot show. The microscopes are theirs to run as well, in university core labs, hospitals and industry. A bad cut can waste hours of preparation.
Electron Microscopy Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an electron microscopy technician include:
- Fix, dehydrate and embed biological samples in resin following established protocols.
- Cut ultrathin sections on an ultramicrotome and collect them on grids for imaging.
- Stain sections with heavy metal stains, handling toxic chemicals under a fume hood.
- Operate transmission and scanning electron microscopes to capture images for researchers.
- Coat samples with gold or carbon in a sputter coater before SEM imaging.
- Align microscopes, change filaments and log performance checks between service visits.
- Train students and researchers to use the microscopes safely and book instrument time.
- Keep sample logs, image files and billing records for each research group.
- Prepare cryo samples by plunge freezing and handle liquid nitrogen safely.
- Troubleshoot poor images by checking preparation steps, vacuum levels and alignment.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an electron microscopy technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Ultramicrotomy and grid handling
- TEM and SEM operation
- Resin embedding and staining protocols
- Safe handling of hazardous chemicals
- Image software such as ImageJ
- Steady hands and patience
- Careful record keeping
- Associate's degree in science or laboratory technology
Education and Training
Most technicians learn through an associate's degree in a science or laboratory technology program, but some start out with a biology or materials science bachelor's degree and train on the instruments on the job. Hands-on microscope time counts most. Senior technicians take on training, instrument upkeep and harder techniques such as cryo-electron microscopy.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: varies widely for this role, and BLS does not publish pay for it separately. In the wider BLS group it belongs to (Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other), the middle half of earners made $48,030 to $79,780 a year, and the median was $62,280.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other.
BLS projects employment of science technicians in its catch-all group, where this job is counted, to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 11,200 openings a year. Microscopy posts are specialized and fairly few, so technicians often move between universities, hospitals and materials labs to find them. Median pay for the group was about $62,300 in May 2025.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other.