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Clinical Lab Technician Salary & Career Insights
What is the average salary for a clinical lab technician in the United States?
$60,780 per year
According to BLS.gov, the average salary for a clinical lab technician in the United States is $60,780 annually. The lowest salary is $36,770 annually, and the highest is $93,900 annually.
Our salary data comes from BLS.gov. The salaries presented here are the 2023 median pay.
Job Outlook & Work Environment
Job Outlook
🚀 344,200; estimated number of clinical lab technicians in 2023. This number is estimated to grow to 18,200 by 2033.
☀️ The projected job outlook is 5%, which is as fast as average.
Work Environment
💼 Clinical lab technicians commonly work in laboratory settings.
🏢 36% of clinical lab technicians work in private medical and surgical hospitals.
Clinical Lab Technician Salary in Comparison to Patent Law Salaries
How Does a Clinical Lab Technician Salary Stack Up?
Both patent agents ($130K) and patent attorneys ($185K) make more money than clinical lab technicians ($60K). If you pass the patent bar exam with a bachelor’s degree in biology or a similar degree from the list of required degrees to sit for the patent bar exam, you can expect a much higher salary when transitioning to a patent law career than you can by working in the lab as a tech.
Top Clinical Lab Technician Salaries by Industry
| Industry | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Specialty Hospitals | $74,530 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government | $73,680 |
| Merchant Wholesalers and Nondurable Goods | $73,040 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $70,960 |
| Navigational and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $69,640 |
Salary by Clinical Lab Technician Industry
In the U.S., the average clinical lab technician salary is $60,780.
Clinical Lab Technician salaries by industry show that Specialty Hospitals offer the highest average salary at $74,530. This is followed by Federal, State, and Local Government with an average salary of $73,680, and Merchant Wholesalers and Nondurable Goods at $73,040. Management of Companies and Enterprises and Navigational and Control Instruments Manufacturing provide average salaries of $70,960 and $69,640, respectively.
Experience & Education
Here are some typical daily activities of a clinical lab technician:
- Processing Information — Gathering, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information.
- Working with Computers — Engaging with computer systems (both hardware and software) to program, develop software, configure functions, input data, or process information.
- Getting Information — Collecting, observing, and acquiring data from all relevant sources.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Staying abreast of technological advancements and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing data and assessing outcomes to select the optimal solution and resolve issues.
- Documenting/Recording Information — Capturing, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining data in written, electronic, or magnetic formats.
Here are the typical skills you need to work as a clinical lab technician:
- Active Listening — Fully concentrate on what others are saying, take the time to grasp the points being made, ask relevant questions when needed, and avoid interruptions at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension — Interpreting written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking — Applying logic and reasoning to spot the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to issues.
- Speaking — Communicating information effectively to others through speech.
- Science — Applying scientific principles and methods to address and solve problems.
Knowledge required to work as a clinical lab technician:
- Biology — Understanding plant and animal organisms, including their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and their environment.
- Chemistry — Comprehending the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and the chemical processes and transformations they undergo. This encompasses the uses of chemicals, their interactions, hazard signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
- English Language — Familiarity with the structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, composition rules, and grammar.
- Mathematics — Proficiency in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Average Education
According to onetonline.org, 46% of clinical lab technicians have a Bachelor’s degree, 31% have an Associate’s degree, and 10% have a Post-baccalaureate certificate.
Top Clinical Lab Technician Salaries by Location
Factors that Impact Pay
Clinical Lab Technician salaries by location reveal that Merced, CA offers the highest average salary at $97,040. San Jose, CA follows with an average salary of $87,990, and Grants Pass, OR offers $85,950. San Francisco, CA and Redmond, OR provide average salaries of $84,530 and $83,030, respectively.
Clinical Lab Technician salaries by state show that New York offers the highest average salary at $81,930. Oregon follows with an average salary of $76,830, and Connecticut offers $76,190. Vermont and New Hampshire provide average salaries of $75,660 and $74,920, respectively.
Take a look at the average clinical lab technician salaries from top-paying cities according to Bls.gov data.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $97,040 |
| San Jose, CA | $87,990 |
| Grants Pass, OR | $85,950 |
| San Francisco, CA | $84,530 |
| Redmond, OR | $83,030 |
Look at the average clinical lab technician salaries from top-paying states according to Bls.gov data.
| State | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $81,930 |
| Oregon | $76,830 |
| Connecticut | $76,190 |
| Vermont | $75,660 |
| New Hampshire | $74,920 |
Related Careers
Patent Agent
Patent agents practice patent law before the USPTO.
Average of $130,168/year
Patent Attorney
Patent attorneys can practice patent law in addition to practicing law in jurisdictions where they are currently admitted.
Average of $185,351/year
Biochemists & Biophysicists
Study chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms.
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