The Salary for Laboratory Technician Jobs
- Although there is no single path that guarantees employment in the laboratory technician field, prospective techs usually follow a two-year associates degree program in medical technology. The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences accredits hundreds of schools across the country offering these kinds of programs. Optional certifications are available from the American Medical Technologists, the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts and the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel.
- As of May 2009, the country was home to 152,420 laboratory technicians earning a median annual salary of $36,030, as reported in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2009 Occupational Employment and Wages report. Laboratory technicians at the low end of the earnings range took in $23,850 while the highest-paid techs averaged $55,210.
- Junior colleges are at the top of the BLS list of highest-paying industries for laboratory technicians, paying wages of $48,040. Scientific research and development services earned second place, at $41,610, while the Federal Executive Branch of the government placed third, paying $40,610. Laboratory technicians employed by home health care services and at colleges and universities also earned above-average wages, receiving $40,130 and $40,020 respectively.
- Laboratory technicians in Rhode Island earned the highest salaries in the country, at $55,490, almost $10,000 higher than the next highest state, Maryland, paying $45,870 followed by Connecticut, averaging $45,380. Laboratory technicians employed in Alaska earned $43,920, while techs in New York also received higher-than-the-median salaries of $43,690.
