Working in a Clinical Laboratory

Answer 1

A career in a medical laboratory requires a four-year degree in medical technology, or an associate degree including a certification. And like other careers in the healthcare industry, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics anticipates job opportunities in medical labs to increase at a brisk pace.

From the period 2008 to 2018, jobs in medical labs are expected to grow by as much as 14 percent, which is much higher than the average growth rate of other related careers. So, job opportunities as a medical lab technologist or medical lab technician will abound in the near future.

For prospects with the aptitude and proper work ethic to complete a bachelor's degree in medical technology (or a related life science such as Biology or chemistry for instance) searching for a job in a professional medical environment can be a rewarding and fulfilling career opportunity. Along those lines, medical lab technicians like a phlebotomist for instance require an associate degree as well.

The Difference between Medical Lab Technologists and Technicians

There is a critical distinction which must be made between medical lab technologists and technicians. The difference is the amount of medical and technological skill needed to do each job. For example, modern lab equipment implores automated computer technology in order to perform a complex and sophisticated analysis such as white blood cell counts.

Medical lab technologists are expected to have the right set of skills to perform and analyze the outcome any number of diagnostic and pathological tests ordered by a physician or an institution. And often, medical lab technologists will analyze these test results side by side with doctors and nurses.

Medical lab technicians on the other hand perform less technically inclined work such as drawing blood or performing other ancillary jobs around the laboratory like the maintenance of equipment. It is not uncommon for a medical lab technician to assist a technologist around the laboratory as well.

The Day-to-Day Work in a Medical Lab

More often than not, the day-to-day responsibility of a medical lab technologist depends on the size of the laboratory itself. But generally speaking, larger laboratories similar to those of a hospital system require technologists to focus on a single responsibility. Some of these responsibilities might include preparing blood samples for transfusion or tissue samples for microscopic analysis.

In a smaller laboratory, a medical technologist may be expected to perform multiple jobs simultaneously. However, this fact does not always equate to a higher salary. Compensation depends on a number of factors.

Annual Income

On average, a medical lab technologist earns approximately $50,000 a year. Technicians earn a median annual income of approximately $35,000. Entry-level positions make a slightly lower salary in many cases. But the projected growth in this field of the healthcare industry is sure to continue to expand in the coming years.