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Laboratory Jobs
Laboratory field pay and roles
The laboratory is the clinical department most patients never see, and it runs around the clock: hospital labs staff evenings and nights, reference labs run enormous overnight batches. Federal rules set who may perform which tier of testing, and state licensure narrows it from there.
Median Salaryof Laboratory Field
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Top Median Salary by Roleof Laboratory Field
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Top Open Rolesof Laboratory Field
- Medical Laboratory Technician22 jobs
- Phlebotomist20 jobs
- Medical Laboratory Scientist19 jobs
- Laboratory Assistant2 jobs
Laboratory jobs by role
4Laboratory jobs by state
2Your questions about laboratory jobs, answered
- What jobs count as laboratory?
The laboratory runs on 4 roles: medical laboratory scientists and medical laboratory technicians who run and interpret testing, laboratory assistants who receive, label, and prep specimens, and phlebotomists who collect them.
- What's the difference between a lab scientist and a lab technician?
Degree level, and what employers do with it. Scientists (MLS) hold a bachelor's; technicians (MLT) hold an associate degree, and federal rules let both run high-complexity testing. What separates the two in practice is state licensure, employer policy, and the supervisory posts that ask for a bachelor's.
- Do lab workers need a license?
ASCLS counts 10 states and Puerto Rico that license laboratory personnel. Everywhere else, employers rely on national certification, most commonly through the ASCP Board of Certification.
- How do I get into lab work without certification?
Laboratory assistant and specimen processing roles hire with a high school diploma and train on the bench. From there, many people finish an MLT program while working.
- What shifts do laboratory jobs run?
Hospital labs operate around the clock, so postings include evening, night, and rotating shifts, often with differentials. Reference labs also run large overnight operations.
- Do laboratory jobs involve patient contact?
It splits by role. Bench work happens away from the bedside, which suits people who want clinical work without a patient-facing day. Phlebotomy is the exception here and is patient contact all day long.
