Clinical Laboratory Technician

Do you have strong analytical skills? Can you work well under pressure? Close attention to detail is important for laboratory personnel, as small differences or changes in test substances or numerical readouts can be crucial to a diagnosis. If you possess these attributes, you might want to investigate a career as a clinical laboratory technician.

Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease with clinical laboratory technicians and technologists performing most of these tests. Clinical laboratory personnel examine and analyze body fluids and cells. They look for bacteria, parasites and other microorganisms; analyze the chemical content of fluids; match blood for transfusions; and test for drug levels in the blood that show how a patient is responding to treatment. The work of laboratory personnel has become more analytical and less hands on due to increasing automation and the use of computer technology. The complexity of tests performed, the level of judgment needed, and the amount of responsibility workers assume depends largely on the amount of education and experience they have.

Generally, clinical laboratory technicians work under the supervision of medical and clinical laboratory technologists or laboratory managers. Technicians typically do less complex tasks than those performed by clinical laboratory technologists. Technicians may prepare specimens and operate automated analyzers or they may perform manual tests in accordance with detailed instructions.

First Steps:
A solid foundation in high school biology, chemistry and math usually provides the groundwork for an education in clinical laboratory science.

Earnings:
Listed below are hourly/annual wages for both entry level and experienced clinical laboratory technicians and the annual median hourly/annual wage.**

Entry Wage               Median Wage             Experienced Wage           
Hourly Annual Hourly Annual Hourly Annual
$12.87 $26,766 $18.45 $38,370 $23.57 $49,022

**Wage Data 2009, State of Illinois Department of Employment Security

Click here for a comparison of other health care occupation wages

Work Environment:
Most of the work of hospital laboratory personnel is done “behind the scenes.” Think of it like the lighting and camera crew on a movie set – an important part of the movie making process, but not what the public sees so is often forgotten. Just like movies wouldn’t happen without the lighting and camera crew, patient health care would be entirely different without the hospital lab.

Hospital laboratories can be divided into separate sections, depending on the specific type of testing being performed.

  • Clinical chemistry analyzes blood and body fluids for components such as glucose or cholesterol to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of various conditions.
  • Hematology looks at the cellular components of blood and coagulation involved in blood clotting.
  • Microbiology deals with infectious diseases, which can include diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, or tuberculosis.
  • The Blood Bank deals with transfusions and Donor Services supplies for the Blood Bank.
  • Phlebotomy collects blood specimens for testing. 
  • Histology deals with the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues by examining a thin slice (section) of tissue.
  • Cytology includes evaluating pap smears or screening cells from body fluids for abnormalities and/or cancer.

Hours vary with the size and type of employment setting.  In large hospitals, personnel usually work the day, evening, or night shift and may work weekends and holidays.

Job Outlook:
Rapid growth and excellent job opportunities are expected. Most jobs will continue to be in hospitals; however, employment will also grow in other settings like private laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and state and federal health agencies.

Education:
A career as a clinical laboratory technician requires a short certificate program from a vocational or technical school that focuses on technical courses or completion of an associate degree program integrating general education, science and clinical laboratory science courses.  Due to regulations specified by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA), only associate degree technicians may perform highly complex laboratory tasks.  Associate degree programs in Illinois are listed below:

Educational/Professional Requirements:
Currently there are no state licensure laws in Illinois for medical laboratory personnel. National certification is voluntary; however it is recommended since most employers require certification. Associations offering certification include the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the American Medical Technologists, and the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts.

If you are planning on becoming a medical technician first and then continuing your education to become a medical technologist, it is recommended that you obtain an associate degree.  Information regarding courses needed to transfer from an associate degree program to a baccalaureate degree program in clinical laboratory science is available at the website sponsored by the Illinois Articulation Initiative. 

Professional Organization:
American Medical Technologists
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
American Society for Clinical Pathology

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