All careersEngineering & science

Clinical Lab Technologist

$62,930
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Run tests on blood, tissue, and other samples to help doctors diagnose and treat disease.

Where you work

Hospital and clinical labs; at a bench with instruments and samples.

The hours

Full-time; shifts including nights, weekends, and holidays.

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$62,930
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~22,600
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
coming soon

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Degree + certification.

License or certification

Some states require a license; certification is widely expected.

What it takes

Attention to detailTechnical skillsAnalytical thinkingDexterity

The honest take

Every diagnosis runs through a lab — steady, hospital-based science.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-2011. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.