Healthcare Practitioners
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians
Also called: Clinical Lab Tech (Clinical Laboratory Technician), Lab Assistant (Laboratory Assistant), Lab Associate (Laboratory Associate), Lab Tech (Laboratory Technician)
US median pay
—
not published
Job growth 2025–35
—
Openings a year (US)
—
Typical entry education
—
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
Perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May work under the supervision of a medical technologist.
What they do day to day
- Perform quality control analyses to ensure accuracy of test results.
- Conduct blood tests for transfusion purposes and perform blood counts.
- Conduct chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood or urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to detect abnormalities or diseases and enter findings into computer.
- Analyze the results of tests or experiments to ensure conformity to specifications, using special mechanical or electrical devices.
- Set up, maintain, calibrate, clean, and test sterility of medical laboratory equipment.
- Examine cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities.
- Prepare standard volumetric solutions or reagents to be combined with samples, following standardized formulas or experimental procedures.
- Supervise or instruct other technicians or laboratory assistants.
- Consult with a pathologist to determine a final diagnosis when abnormal cells are found.
- Obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Quality Control Analysis3.2/5
- Operations Monitoring3.2/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Instructing2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
Knowledge
- Chemistry4.0/5
- English Language4.0/5
- Biology3.7/5
- Medicine and Dentistry3.7/5
- Education and Training3.5/5
- Computers and Electronics3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.