Laboratory Technician Jobs

Answer 1

If you visit a laboratory to have blood drawn for testing purposes, your blood will generally be drawn by a laboratory technician. Laboratory technicians work in labs and participate in analyzing blood, fluids, and cells. They are trained to see if things like bacteria, chemical contents or levels of drugs are in a patient’s blood. They take and examine cultures and tissue samples. Laboratory technicians are also responsible for the preparation of specimens to be examined and they are responsible for checking for abnormalities in patient’s blood.

Laboratory technicians use equipment such as microscopes and laboratory instruments to perform their tests. After they complete the analysis process, laboratory technicians send their reports to the patient’s physicians.

The work environment of a laboratory technician is a sterile, clinical lab. Technicians must wear personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks and perhaps even goggles when working with a patient’s blood. They must constantly sterilize their lab tools and equipment. Lab technicians can work full-time or part-time depending on the facility. If they work in larger facilities, they may be able to work rotating shifts. Sometimes they may be required to work on an on-call basis. They may be required to work around fumes from various solutions in the lab. Most of the employed laboratory technicians work in hospitals; others work in private labs and clinics.

As far as education, laboratory technicians are generally required to possess a bachelor’s degree. They may also be required to have specialized medical training. Some labs will provide on-the-job training for qualified laboratory technicians. Most hospitals and universities have medical technology programs for students who want to become laboratory technicians. Some facilities will require laboratory technicians to be licensed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are approximately 500 programs for medical and clinical lab technicians throughout the U.S. that are fully accredited.

The BLS reports that the outlook for jobs in the laboratory technician field is good as jobs are growing at a rapid pace. Over the next several years, jobs in this field are expected to grow by 14 percent. As of 2008, the annual median income for laboratory technicians was approximately $53,000.