Medical Lab Assistant Salary

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: March, 19 2010

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What is the average lab assistant salary?

According to the ASCP Wage and Vacancy Survey, in 2008 medical lab assistants made a median salary of $13.50 per hour or just over $28,000 per year.

Is the job of a medical lab assistant in high demand?

This profession is in high demand and job growth is expected to continue to grow faster than average at over 14 percent between 2006 and 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lab tests are increasingly needed due to the baby boomer generation aging and an overall growth in population.

Is there room for advancement in this field?

Medical lab assistants oftentimes chose to further their education with an associate’s degree to become a medical technician, which allows them to become more hands on with running and analyzing tests. Or, medical lab assistants can earn a bachelor’s degree in medical technology and can then perform the more advanced tests and analysis in the lab. Becoming a medical lab assistant is a common gateway into other allied health professions because it provides a solid foundation of the workings of a lab.

How to Become a Lab Assistant

While there are a variety of methods to land a job as a medical lab assistant, the below steps provide the most direct route that increases one’s marketability and credibility.

Take high school courses in Chemistry and Biology.
Graduate from High School.
Enroll in a formal medical lab assistant training program.
Upon graduating from a formal program, sit for the American Medical Technologists’ Medical Lab Assistant Certification
Look for a job as a medical lab assistant.
Obtain necessary continuing education to renew medical lab assistant certification credential every three years.