Histology Supervisor Job Description

Salary Range

$47,650 - $81,450

Experience

Senior, after several years at the bench

Work Environment

Hospital or reference pathology lab

What Does a Histology Supervisor Do?

Slides with a fold through the tissue, or a stain that came out too pale, go back to the bench on a histology supervisor's say-so. In hospital and reference pathology labs, the supervisor assigns the cutting and staining work, trains histotechnicians and keeps the quality records that inspectors check. Supervisors answer to the pathologist or lab director.

Also known as: Assistant Chief Histology Technician, Chief Histology Technician

Other Job Titles for This Work

Workers in this occupation report titles such as Clinical Lab Manager (Clinical Laboratory Manager), Histology Lab Manager (Histology Laboratory Manager), Histology Specialist, Histology Technologist, Histotechnologist.

Histology Supervisor Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of a histology supervisor include:

• Assign embedding, cutting, staining and grossing support work across the histology bench each day.
• Review slide quality and send back sections with folds, tears or uneven staining.
• Validate new stains, antibodies and instruments before they go into patient testing.
• Maintain procedure manuals and quality control records for CAP and CLIA inspections.
• Track turnaround times and fix bottlenecks between the grossing room and the pathologists.
• Train and assess histotechnicians and document their competency each year.
• Investigate specimen labeling errors and put corrective actions in place.
• Order reagents, blades and supplies and manage the section's budget.
• Oversee chemical safety for formalin, xylene and hazardous waste disposal.
• Schedule staff and cover the bench personally during shortages or heavy days.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as a histology supervisor, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• HTL (ASCP) certification
• Immunohistochemistry and special stains
• CAP and CLIA quality requirements
• Laboratory information systems such as Epic Beaker or Cerner
• Staff scheduling and competency assessment
• Troubleshooting processors, microtomes and stainers
• Chemical safety for formalin and xylene
• Clear communication with pathologists

Education and Training

To become a histology supervisor, in many labs you will need HT or HTL certification and several years at the bench to qualify to lead a section. Most supervisors hold a bachelor's degree. Progress from assistant chief to chief histology technician is gradual but is achievable for technicians who add supervisory and quality work.

Salary and Job Outlook

Employment of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, the group that includes histology staff, should grow about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, according to BLS projections. That works out to roughly 20,800 openings a year. Certified histotechnologists with supervisory experience are often in short supply, so a strong bench record can bring promotion fairly quickly.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians.

Histology Supervisor Pay Range

Highest-Paying States for Histology Supervisors

The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are New York ($97,280), Oregon ($83,010), New Hampshire ($81,020), Massachusetts ($79,120), Vermont ($78,680). Pay is lowest in Utah ($49,090), Idaho ($47,450), New Mexico ($47,360).

What the Work Is Like

O*NET surveys people who work as histotechnologists about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:

• 100% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
• 95% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
• 95% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
• 90% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
• 90% work against deadlines every day
• 81% use email every day
• 62% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job

Education Workers Say the Job Needs

Tools and Software Histology Supervisors Use

Tools and equipment

• Anti-roll plates
• Automated coverslippers
• Automated tissue sectioning systems
• Back sledge microtomes
• Clinical freezing microtomes
• Cryostat microtomes
• Cytocentrifuges
• Desktop computers
• Drying ovens
• Electronic laboratory balances

Software

• MEDITECH software
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word
• Brady Specimen Labeling System
• Cerner Millennium
• Laboratory information system LIS
• Presentation software
• Specimen labeling system software
• Spreadsheet software

Is This Job a Good Fit for You?

People who do well in this job tend to enjoy analyzing problems and working with ideas as well as hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors.

Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Listening, Speaking.

Knowledge areas used most: Biology, Production and Processing, Chemistry, Customer and Personal Service, English Language.

Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.

Related Careers

These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:

• Histology Technician job description
• Medical Laboratory Technician job description
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• Radiologic Technologist job description
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Applying for a Histology Supervisor Job

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