As a medical laboratory technician, you have the opportunity to solve medical mysteries and provide rapid and much needed answers to doctors and their patients. This career choice offers stability and plenty of room for an increase in salary. The medical laboratory technician salary can vary greatly based upon your years of experience and, of course, on the type of training that you have received to ready yourself for this rewarding and lucrative career.
Let’s take a look at some of the factors that can influence the salary that you command as a highly skilled medical laboratory technician.
- Your educational background can have a huge impact on your salary. While getting the basic degrees and certifications will help you to get your foot in the door, you will be able to command a much higher salary if you go on to further your education and expand your areas of interest.
- The number of years that you have been working will have a significant impact on your salary. Experienced employees are often valued higher than those who are fresh out of school as they will be a lot more confident in the lab and be able make confident conclusions much faster than someone just entering the field. Worry not however; with a bit of experience under your belt, you will soon be able to see an increase in your salary.
- For a medical laboratory technician, salary can be impacted by where you live. Living in a major city, for example, can often provide you with a much higher salary than if you were to live in in the suburbs or even a rural community.
Another factor is the type and size of the facility that you find employment with. This can have a very large impact on your salary range, depending on where you find employment. You could see as much as a $20,000 a year difference simply by switching to another employer.
Some of the facilities that you could find yourself working at include the following.
- Hospitals
- Private practices of all types
- Government agencies
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Universities and other research facilities
Salary Ranges Around The World
You are likely to see that there is a marked difference in the average laboratory technician salary not just around the world but between the states in the USA. Let’s take a look at a few of them so that you can gain an insight into the type of income you could expect to earn living in these locations.
Around the USA
- California: $46,000
- Massachusetts: $48,000
- Oregon: $43,000
- Georgia: $41,000
- Michigan: $44,000
- Texas: $41,000
- New York: $50,000
- Wisconsin: $39,500
- Iowa: $40,000
- Hawaii: $46,000
- Alaska: $48,000
A lot of factors can influence your expected average salary, as already discussed. However, population density and the availability of educated and experienced professionals can also have a huge impact on the average salary for that area. Keep in mind that the amounts listed here are simply averages. You could earn up to $75,000 or start out at $22,000.
Around The World
- Mexico: $23,000
- New Zealand: $21,000
- Australian: $23,000
- United Kingdom: $30,000
- China: $22,000
- India: $19,000
The averages listed for other countries can vary greatly based upon several factors that are related to the cost of living. The cost of living should always be a consideration when you are debating moving elsewhere. While the salary may be appealing, the cost of living may be significantly higher.
Laboratory tests are the foundation of the medical community when it comes to the correct diagnosis and proper treatment of illnesses that range from strep throat to cancer. As a highly qualified technician, you will be responsible for helping to detect illnesses and life-threatening diseases for thousands of patients so that they can receive the correct treatment that they need.
Your medical laboratory technician salary will increase as your experience and on the job training increases. Remember that this interesting career choice can often lead you to the world of forensic diagnostics and even a career in the military.
