Activities	Perform complex medical laboratory tests for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May train or supervise staff.
Outlook	Average job growth
Median Income	$53,500 per year in 2008
Work Context & Conditions	Work in well-lit, clean laboratories. They may spend a great deal of time standing and walking. Hospital laboratories may operate continuously, requiring day, evening, weekend, night shift or holiday work.
Minimum Education Requirements	Bachelor's Degree
Skills	Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Negotiation, Time Management, Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Operation Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Science
Abilities	Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension, Information Ordering, Inductive Reasoning
Interviews	Chris King Vivian Morales

Job Category		Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
Job Description		Medical and clinical laboratory technologists generally have a bachelor's degree in medical technology or in one of the life sciences, or they have a combination of formal training and work experience. They perform complex chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic, and bacteriological tests. Technologists microscopically examine blood, tissue, and other body substances. They make cultures of body fluid and tissue samples, to determine the presence of bacteria, fungi, parasites, or other microorganisms. They analyze samples for chemical content or reaction and determine blood glucose and cholesterol levels. They also type and cross match blood samples for transfusions. Medical and clinical laboratory technologists evaluate test results, develop and modify procedures, and establish and monitor programs, to ensure the accuracy of tests. Some medical and clinical laboratory technologists supervise medical and clinical laboratory technicians. Technologists in small laboratories perform many types of tests, whereas those in large laboratories generally specialize. Those who prepare specimens and analyze the chemical and hormonal contents of body fluids are clinical chemistry technologists. Those who examine and identify bacteria and other microorganisms are microbiology technologists. Blood bank technologists, or immunohematology technologists, collect, type, and prepare blood and its components for transfusions. Immunology technologists examine elements and responses of the human immune system to foreign bodies. Cytotechnologists prepare slides of body cells and microscopically examine these cells for abnormalities that may signal the beginning of a cancerous growth. Molecular biology technologists perform complex genetic testing on cell samples.
Working Conditions		Hours and other working conditions of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians vary, according to the size and type of employment setting. In large hospitals or in independent laboratories that operate continuously, personnel usually work the day, evening, or night shift and may work weekends and holidays. Laboratory personnel in small facilities may work on rotating shifts, rather than on a regular shift. In some facilities, laboratory personnel are on call several nights a week or on weekends, in case of an emergency. Clinical laboratory personnel are trained to work with infectious specimens. When proper methods of infection control and sterilization are followed, few hazards exist. Protective masks, gloves, and goggles are often necessary to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel. Laboratories usually are well-lit and clean; however, specimens, solutions, and reagents used in the laboratory sometimes produce fumes. Laboratory workers may spend a great deal of time on their feet.
Salary Range		Median annual earnings of medical and clinical laboratory technologists were $53,500 in 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $44,600 and $63,400. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,200, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,400. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of medical and clinical laboratory technologists in 2008 were: hospitals ($54,200), medical and dental laboratories ($53,360), and offices and clinics of medical doctors ($49,080.)

Education Required		The usual requirement for an entry-level position as a medical or clinical laboratory technologist is a bachelor's degree with a major in medical technology or in one of the life sciences. Universities and hospitals offer medical technology programs. It also is possible to qualify through a combination of education, on-the-job, and specialized training. Bachelor's degree programs in medical technology include courses in chemistry, biological sciences, microbiology, mathematics, statistics, and specialized courses devoted to knowledge and skills used in the clinical laboratory. Many programs also offer or require courses in management, business, and computer applications. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act requires technologists who perform certain highly complex tests to have at least an associate's degree. The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) fully accredits 479 programs for medical and clinical laboratory technologists, medical and clinical laboratory technicians, histotechnologists and histotechnicians, cytogenetic technologists, and diagnostic molecular scientists. NAACLS also approves 60 programs in phlebotomy and clinical assisting. Other nationally recognized accrediting agencies that accredit specific areas for clinical laboratory workers include the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools. Clinical laboratory personnel need good analytical judgment and the ability to work under pressure. Close attention to detail is essential, because small differences or changes in test substances or numerical readouts can be crucial for patient care. Manual dexterity and normal color vision are highly desirable. With the widespread use of automated laboratory equipment, computer skills are important. In addition, technologists in particular are expected to be good at problem solving. Technologists may advance to supervisory positions in laboratory work or become chief medical or clinical laboratory technologists or laboratory managers in hospitals. Manufacturers of home diagnostic testing kits and laboratory equipment and supplies seek experienced technologists to work in product development, marketing, and sales. Graduate education in medical technology, one of the biological sciences, chemistry, management, or education usually speeds advancement. A doctorate is needed to become a laboratory director. However, federal regulation allows directors of moderate complexity laboratories to have either a master's degree or a bachelor's degree combined with the appropriate amount of training and experience. Technicians can become technologists through additional education and experience.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Mathematics, English, Chemistry
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Education and Training, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and Dentistry
Certification and Licensing		Some states require laboratory personnel to be licensed or registered. Information on licensure is available from state departments of health or boards of occupational licensing. Certification is a voluntary process by which a nongovernmental organization, such as a professional society or certifying agency, grants recognition to an individual whose professional competence meets prescribed standards. Widely accepted by employers in the health industry, certification is a prerequisite for most jobs and often is necessary for advancement. Agencies certifying medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians include the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the American Medical Technologists, the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel, and the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts. These agencies have different requirements for certification and different organizational sponsors.

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Activity Busy all the time.
Skills		Monitoring Assess how well someone is doing when learning or doing something. Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Quality Control Analysis Conduct tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Negotiation Bring others together and trying to reconcile differences. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Troubleshooting Determine what is causing an operating error and deciding what to do about it. Equipment Maintenance Perform routine maintenance and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed. Active Learning Work with new material or information to grasp its implications. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. Operation Monitoring Watch gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Science Use scientific methods to solve problems.
Abilities		Oral Expression Able to convey information and ideas through speech in ways that others will understand. Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Information Ordering Able to correctly follow rules for arranging things or actions in a certain order, including numbers, words, pictures, procedures, and logical operations. Inductive Reasoning Able to combine separate pieces of information, or specific answers to problems, to form general rules or conclusions. This includes coming up with a logical explanation for why seemingly unrelated events occur together.

Related Jobs		Physician, Anesthesiologist, Biologist, Coroner and Medical Examiner, Biologist, Microbiologist, Technician, Biological
Job Outlook		Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians held about 328,000 jobs in 2008. About half worked in hospitals. Most of the remaining jobs were found in medical laboratories or offices and clinics of physicians. A small number were in blood banks, research and testing laboratories, and in the federal government—at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and U.S. Public Health Service facilities. Employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2016, as the volume of laboratory tests increases with both population growth and the development of new types of tests. Technological advances will continue to have two opposing effects on employment through 2018. On the one hand, new, increasingly powerful diagnostic tests will encourage additional testing and spur employment. On the other hand, research and development efforts targeted at simplifying routine testing procedures may enhance the ability of nonlaboratory personnel—physicians and patients in particular—to perform tests now conducted in laboratories. Although significant, growth will not be the only source of opportunities. As in most occupations, many openings will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations, retire, or stop working for some other reason.
More Information		National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Board of Registry, American Medical Technologists, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Association of Bioanalysts, National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel, AABB, American Medical Association - Health Care Careers
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/29-2011.00