What Does a Medical Laboratory Technician Do?
When a doctor orders a blood count or a culture, the lab result can decide whether treatment starts that afternoon or whether it waits another day. Medical laboratory technicians run many of those tests, analyzing blood, urine and other samples on automated analyzers and under the microscope. Hospital labs employ most of them, and others work in clinics, physician offices and reference labs, usually under a medical technologist.
Also known as: Medical Lab Technician
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Certified Clinical Laboratory Technician, Clinical Laboratory Technician (Clinical Lab Technician), Laboratory Assistant (Lab Assistant), Laboratory Technician (Lab Tech), Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), Medical Laboratory Technicians (Medical Lab Technician), Medical Technician.
Medical Laboratory Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a medical laboratory technician include:
- Run blood, urine and body fluid samples on chemistry, hematology and urinalysis analyzers.
- Perform quality control runs at the start of each shift and act on failed controls.
- Examine blood smears and urine sediment under the microscope and flag abnormal cells.
- Type and crossmatch blood for transfusion under blood bank procedures.
- Plate and read microbiology cultures and set up routine sensitivity tests.
- Verify results, phone critical values to nurses or physicians and document each call.
- Receive, label and process specimens and reject samples that fail acceptance rules.
- Maintain and troubleshoot analyzers, centrifuges and pipettes, logging all service.
- Record results and quality data in the laboratory information system.
- Draw blood when needed and follow safety rules for biohazards and sharps.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a medical laboratory technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- MLT (ASCP) certification
- Automated analyzers in chemistry and hematology
- Microscopy for smears and urine sediment
- Quality control rules and CLIA requirements
- Laboratory information systems such as Epic Beaker or Sunquest
- Accuracy under pressure on urgent (stat) tests
- Biohazard and infection control practice
- Clear, prompt reporting of critical results
Education and Training
A degree alone isn't likely to land a hospital job if you're uneasy around needles and biohazards, but if you're one of several new graduates applying, MLT (ASCP) certification can be what prompts a lab manager to call you and offer a start date. Several states also license lab staff. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for the wider lab group, which mainly reflects the technologists in it. Many technicians earn it later to move up.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $47,650 - $81,450 per year, with a median of $62,930.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians.
The BLS outlook for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians calls for growth of about 3 percent from 2025 to 2035. In fact, the group should see roughly 20,800 openings a year, according to BLS, as many longtime lab staff retire. Hospitals often struggle to staff evening and night shifts, so a new technician willing to work them usually has more choice.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians.
Medical Laboratory Technician Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $38,910 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $47,650 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $62,930 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $81,450 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $100,990 |
Highest-Paying States for Medical Laboratory Technicians
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).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $49,440 |
| Alaska | $60,950 |
| Arizona | $62,530 |
| Arkansas | $49,670 |
| California | $76,010 |
| Colorado | $70,050 |
| Connecticut | $65,310 |
| Delaware | $68,630 |
| District of Columbia | $76,560 |
| Florida | $60,510 |
| Georgia | $62,180 |
| Hawaii | $66,020 |
| Idaho | $47,450 |
| Illinois | $71,950 |
| Indiana | $57,080 |
| Iowa | $54,260 |
| Kansas | $62,050 |
| Kentucky | $60,880 |
| Louisiana | $54,460 |
| Maine | $68,690 |
| Maryland | $63,690 |
| Massachusetts | $79,120 |
| Michigan | $61,260 |
| Minnesota | $74,440 |
| Mississippi | $50,640 |
| Missouri | $60,300 |
| Montana | $65,190 |
| Nebraska | $60,540 |
| Nevada | $57,320 |
| New Hampshire | $81,020 |
| New Jersey | $68,450 |
| New Mexico | $47,360 |
| New York | $97,280 |
| North Carolina | $60,650 |
| North Dakota | $62,680 |
| Ohio | $63,800 |
| Oklahoma | $53,300 |
| Oregon | $83,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,680 |
| Rhode Island | $75,780 |
| South Carolina | $55,280 |
| South Dakota | $60,890 |
| Tennessee | $62,070 |
| Texas | $59,290 |
| Utah | $49,090 |
| Vermont | $78,680 |
| Virginia | $61,050 |
| Washington | $72,760 |
| West Virginia | $61,810 |
| Wisconsin | $60,670 |
| Wyoming | $65,510 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as medical and clinical laboratory technicians about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 99% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 98% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 93% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 81% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 79% are on the phone every day
- 67% are exposed to disease or infection every day
- 66% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 46% |
| Associate's degree | 31% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 10% |
| Master's degree | 7% |
Tools and Software Medical Laboratory Technicians Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as analyzing problems and working with ideas.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Science, Writing.
Knowledge areas used most: Chemistry, Biology, English Language, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 29-2012.00 (Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians). View on O*NET OnLine.
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