Details Report for:
29-2012.00 - Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
Perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May work under the supervision of a medical technologist.
Sample of reported job titles: 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
Also see: Histology Technicians
Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Detailed Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
Tasks Save Table (XLS/CSV)
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Technology Skills Save Table (XLS/CSV)
- Accounting software — Billing software
- Analytical or scientific software — Minitab
- Data base user interface and query software — Database software; FileMaker Pro
- Development environment software — National Instruments LabVIEW
- Electronic mail software — Email software; IBM Notes
; Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
— SAP
- Medical software — Electronic medical record EMR software; Medical digital imaging software; MEDITECH software
; Test routing software (see all 14 examples)
- Office suite software — Microsoft Office
- Presentation software — Microsoft Power Point
- Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software — Google Docs
; Microsoft Word
Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.
Tools Used Save Table (XLS/CSV)
- Anaerobic jars or accessories — Anaerobe jars; Candle jars
- Analytical balances
- Bench refractometers or polarimeters — Bench refractometers
- Benchtop centrifuges — Centrifuges
- Binocular light compound microscopes — Compound microscopes
- Blood bank analyzers — Agglutination viewers
- Blood bank cell washers — Cell washers
- Blood collection needle — Blood collection needles
- Blood collection needle holders — Needle holders
- Blood collection syringes
- Butterfly needles
- Capillary or hematocrit tubes — Capillary sticks; Capillary tubes
- Chemistry analyzers — Automated chemistry analyzers; Automated/semi-automated dipstick analysis systems; Heterologous test systems; Homologous test systems
- Chromatographic detectors — Chromatographs
- Coagulation analyzers — Automated coagulation analyzers; Portable coagulation analyzers
- Colorimeters — Colorimetric devices
- Compact disc CD or labeling printers — Label printers
- Desktop computers
- Dropping pipettes
- Dry baths or heating blocks — Dry bath incubators
- Electrolyte analyzers
- Electronic multichannel pipetters — 8 and 12 channel pipettes
- Extracting equipment for laboratories — Plasma extractors
- Fluorescent microscopes — Fluorescence microscopes
- Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators — Incubators
- Gas chromatographs — Gas chromatographs GC
- Glucose monitors or meters — Glucose monitoring systems
- Hemacytometer sets — Hemacytometers
- Hematology analyzers — 5-part differential automated hematology analyzers; Automated platelet analyzers; Hematology task-targeted automation TTA systems; Semiautomated hematology analyzers (see all 5 examples)
- Histology tissue cassettes — Tissue cassettes
- Hypodermic needle — 22-gauge needles
- Immunology or serology test kits or supplies — Serological kits
- Laboratory chillers — Blood bank refrigerators
- Laboratory diluters — Diluters
- Laboratory mixers — Electrical mixers
- Laboratory vacuum pumps
- Laminar flow cabinets or stations — Laminar flow hoods
- Lancets — Sterile blood lancets
- Laser printers
- Liquid scintillation counters — Scintillation counters
- Manual or electronic hematology differential cell counters — Cell counters
- Manual single channel air displacement pipetters — Single-channel pipettes
- Microbiology analyzers — Flow cytometers
- Microcentrifuges — Microhematocrits
- Micrometers
- Microplate washers — Plate washers
- Microscope slides — Glass slides
- Multipurpose or general test tubes — Sterile transfer tubes
- Multiwell plates — Microtiter plates
- Notebook computers
- Personal computers
- Petri plates or dishes — Petri dishes
- pH meters
- Phlebotomy trays or accessories — Collection tube holders/adapters; Unopettes
- Platelet mixers — Platelet rockers
- Robotic or automated liquid handling systems — Automatic pipetters
- Shaking incubators — Blood culture incubators
- Specialty plates for bacteria — Blood agar plates
- Spectrometers
- Spectrophotometers
- Steam autoclaves or sterilizers — Autoclaves
- Stereo or dissecting light microscopes — Light microscopes
- Surgical sterile instrument brushes or instrument stylets or instrument wipes — Stylets
- Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers — Thermal cyclers
- Tissue culture coated plates or dishes or inserts — Antigen-coated test plates; Sensitivity plates
- Tissue embedding stations — Tissue embedding equipment
- Tourniquets
- Triple beam balances
- Tube rotators — Serology tube rotators
- Ultracentrifuges
- Urinalysis analyzers — Urinometers
- Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers — Evacuated blood collection tubes
- Warming cabinets — Plasma thawers
Knowledge Save Table (XLS/CSV)
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Skills Save Table (XLS/CSV)
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Abilities Save Table (XLS/CSV)
Work Activities Save Table (XLS/CSV)
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Detailed Work Activities Save Table (XLS/CSV)
- Test biological specimens to gather information about patient conditions.
- Analyze laboratory specimens to detect abnormalities or other problems.
- Analyze laboratory findings.
- Enter patient or treatment data into computers.
- Operate laboratory equipment to analyze medical samples.
- Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.
- Collect biological specimens from patients.
- Clean medical equipment or facilities.
- Maintain medical laboratory equipment.
- Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
- Cultivate micro-organisms for study, testing, or medical preparations.
- Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
- Supervise technical medical personnel.
- Train medical providers.
Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities
Work Context Save Table (XLS/CSV)
Job Zone Save Table (XLS/CSV)
Title | Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
Education | Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
Related Experience | Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. |
Job Training | Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
Job Zone Examples | These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants. |
SVP Range | (6.0 to < 7.0) |
Education
Interests Save Table (XLS/CSV)
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Interest |
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Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. ![]() |
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Work Styles Save Table (XLS/CSV)
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Related Occupations Save Table (XLS/CSV)
19-4031.00 | Chemical Technicians |
29-1124.00 | Radiation Therapists ![]() |
29-2011.00 | Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists ![]() |
29-2031.00 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians ![]() |
29-2032.00 | Diagnostic Medical Sonographers ![]() |
29-2033.00 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists ![]() |
29-2099.01 | Neurodiagnostic Technologists ![]() |
31-9099.02 | Endoscopy Technicians ![]() |
Wages & Employment Trends
Median wage data for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians.
Employment data for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians.
Industry data for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians.
Median wages (2019) | $25.54 hourly, $53,120 annual |
State wages | |
Local wages | |
Employment (2019) | 337,800 employees |
Projected growth (2019-2029) | ![]() |
Projected job openings (2019-2029) | 21,600 |
State trends | |
Top industries (2019) | Health Care and Social Assistance (85% employed in this sector)
|
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 wage data
and 2019-2029 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2019-2029). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- AABB
- Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists
- American Association of Bioanalysts
- American Medical Technologists
- American Society for Clinical Pathology
- American Society of Cytopathology
- Clinical Laboratory Management Association
- College of American Pathologists
- Coordinating Council on the Clinical Laboratory Workforce
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
- The American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science