Medical Skilled Trades
Medical Laboratory Technician
Medical laboratory technicians run the tests on blood, urine and tissue that doctors use to diagnose and treat patients. Patient contact is low. Most need an associate's degree, and some move up to technologist after gaining experience and a bachelor's degree.
1.Career snapshot
- Role
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Pay (planning range)
- $45K–$75K+ Wealth Playbook guide, 2026
- Training time
- ~2 years
- Pathway
- Dental & Laboratory
- Demand
- Employment of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
- Patient contact
- Low
- Occupation code
- SOC 29-2012 · O*NET 29-2012.00
BLS wage data for this code is published for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians combined (technicians 29-2012 and technologists 29-2011), so the median shown includes bachelor's-level technologists.
- Diagnostic / technology-focused
- Career advancement potential
2.What you'll do
Everyday work and where it happens
You receive samples, set up and calibrate analyzers and microscopes, and run routine tests such as blood counts, blood typing for transfusions and chemical analyses of body fluids. You run quality-control checks so results are accurate, record results in patients' records, and flag abnormal findings. You usually work under the general supervision of a technologist or lab manager.
Typical duties
- Perform routine tests on blood, urine and other body fluids
- Conduct blood tests for transfusions and perform blood counts
- Run quality-control analyses to check test accuracy
- Set up, maintain, calibrate and clean laboratory equipment
- Examine stained cells under a microscope for abnormalities
- Record results in patient records and report findings
- Where you could work
- Hospitals, Medical and diagnostic laboratories, Offices of physicians, Schools and colleges
- Schedule
- Most work full time. Because hospitals and labs are always open, shifts may include nights, weekends or holidays.
- Physical demands
- Standing for long periods, with a risk of repetitive-motion injury. You handle needles and biohazardous specimens and wear protective masks, gloves and goggles.
- Patient contact
- Low
3.How to get there
Education, training, exams and licensing
- Typical training
- Associate degree
- Training time
- ~2 years
1.Take chemistry, biology and math in high school
Lab careers are science-heavy; strong basics help.
2.Earn an associate's degree in clinical laboratory science
Choose an accredited MLT program (NAACLS is one accreditor of these programs); programs include clinical experience. Certificate programs through the Armed Forces or vocational schools are another route.
3.Earn MLT certification
The ASCP Board of Certification's MLT(ASCP) credential typically requires completing an accredited program and passing an exam. Certification is not always required, but employers may prefer it, and in some states licensure requires certification.
4.Check your state's rules
Some states require laboratory personnel to be licensed or registered; requirements vary by state and specialty.
Exams and credentials
- MLT(ASCP) - Medical Laboratory Technician (ASCP Board of Certification)
Licensing
Some states require laboratory personnel to be licensed or registered, and in some of those states licensure requires certification. Certification as a medical laboratory technician typically requires completing an accredited program and passing an exam. Requirements vary by state and specialty; check your state board.
Look up your state's license requirements (opens in a new tab)
4.What it costs
Tuition, fees, exams and financial aid
Costs vary by program.
Grants, loans and work-study can help pay for an eligible program. Start with the FAFSA at studentaid.gov (opens in a new tab), and ask each program what its total cost includes.
5.What you can earn
Starting, median and experienced pay, and where the figures come from
Planning range
$45K–$75K+
Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026
Local wage data isn't loaded yet, so this is a broad planning range, not a wage figure.
A planning range is broad and has no median: it is for planning, not a promise of pay. Starting, median and experienced wages will show here when BLS wage data is loaded.
For reference only (not this page's pay figure): BLS median, May 2025, national: $62,930 a year (source, opens in a new tab). BLS wage data for this code is published for Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians combined (technicians 29-2012 and technologists 29-2011), so the median shown includes bachelor's-level technologists.
6.Jobs near you
Coming soon
We plan to show local openings here once a job-data source is connected. Until then, you can search current listings yourself.
7.Career ladder
Next certifications and roles
- Medical Laboratory Technician(this career)
- Specialty certification (for example histology)(BLS notes specialty certification is available in areas such as histology and clinical chemistry.)
- Medical Laboratory Technologist / Scientist(Needs a bachelor's degree. BLS says some technicians advance to technologist positions after gaining experience and additional education.)
8.Your wealth path
From your first paycheck to owning and investing
Train
Certify
Get hired
Advance
Build wealth
Own / invest
Estimated take-home pay
Low end of the planning range: $45,000 a year
About $36,696 a year ($3,058 a month)
High end of the planning range: $75,000 a year
About $58,149 a year ($4,846 a month)
Estimate only. Assumptions: tax year 2026, single filer, the standard deduction, federal income tax, FICA at 7.65%, and a default state income tax rate of 5.00% (choose a state above to use its rate). No retirement contributions or other deductions. The Paycheck calculator uses the same engine.
9.Find training
Free U.S. Department of Labor resources. We don't list or rank schools.
Registered apprenticeships exist for some of these roles. For licensed careers, check that a program meets your state's licensing rules.
10.Compare careers
Save this career and put it beside others
Sources
- Pay: Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026 (a planning range, not wage data).
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians (opens in a new tab)
- O*NET OnLine: 29-2012.00 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians (opens in a new tab)
- NAACLS: National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (opens in a new tab)