Medical laboratory technicians and technologists are responsible for collecting and preparing samples from patients to provide results to help in their medical diagnosis. You can find work in a hospital, medical laboratory or physicians’ office.
Medical laboratory technicians and technologists perform a variety of laboratory tests that include the typing and crossmatching of blood and blood components; drug monitoring (both for therapeutic monitoring of drugs and the detection of drugs of abuse); identifying anemias, leukemias, and other blood disorders; identifying infectious organisms and determining their susceptibility to specific antibiotics; and performing additional testing as requested by the physician.
Medical laboratory technicians and technologists work together with a team of pathologists, physicians, and specialists to determine the presence, extent or absence of disease and provide data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. MLTs must be accurate, reliable, and be able to recognize their responsibility for human lives. The laboratory procedures performed by MLTs use an array of complex precision instruments and a variety of automated and electronic equipment.
How will this degree help me?
According to the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS) the expected growth for jobs in the Medical Laboratory Technicians field from 2011 through 2020 is 14.7%. Candidates across the US are earning an average $16.54 an hour ($13.32 – $22.41) or $34,410 a year.
Medical Laboratory Technicians can move into other high-paying jobs like Laboratory Manager, or Medical Laboratory Technologists where the average salary is $61,000 a year. (see chart below).
Here’s the latest hourly and annual rates of pay for Medical Laboratory Technicians via PayScale:
Click here to find out more about the Medical Laboratory Technology program and degree requirements.
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