Histotechnologist Salary
By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: March, 2 2010
What is the average histotechnician salary?
According to the ADVANCE Salary Survey conducted in 2007-2008, the average histotech salary is $56,988. To compare to past salaries, in 2005, histotechs made on average $52,061. These are annual salary figures and histotechnicians are typically paid an hourly rate, but the information still helps provide the earnings of professionals in this field. Since oftentimes there are two shifts for histotechs in private lab settings; a 3am-12pm shift and a 2pm-11pm shift is common due to the 24-hour turn around time required on tissue results. Shift differential pay is usually provided for those who cover late night or early morning hours.
What personality traits or skills would make someone a good fit for this profession?
Attention to detail is of upmost importance in the field of histotechnology. It is important to be able to work well with others and have excellent hand-eye coordination too. Histotechs should be patient and have the ability to work carefully but quickly when assisting physicians in the operating room setting.
What challenges do histotechs face?
This field requires a high level of concentration so the specimen is not dropped or ruined. Also, there is the risk of a histotech cutting oneself with the microtone blade but using tweezers helps prevent those types of accidents.
