Medical Lab Technician
The lab technician career field is a fast-growing career on high demand, with no signs of it going down in future years. While there are many different types of lab technicians, the most commonly known are medical lab technicians. This article will help to give you an idea of what to expect job wise, education wise and salary wise.
Medical Lab Technician Job Description
Medical lab technicians play a key role in health care. As a medical lab technician you’ll perform the various important tests that are necessary to discover what illness a patient is suffering from. While working under the guidance of a doctor or medical lab technologist, you’ll perform routine tests on blood, urine, tissue samples and feces. On some rare occasions you may have to perform a direct examination of a specimen, but in most cases, the medical lab technician must simply put the specimen to be tested into a machine. The machine will then generate a report automatically, but as a result of this, you would do well to have some basic computer knowledge as well, as you will then have to review this report and send it to the doctor in charge of the patient. In addition, some laboratories have authorized data entry personnel who must keep a log of the examined specimens, but in the event that there are no data entry personnel, this responsibility becomes that of the medical lab tech.
Schooling Requirements for Lab Technicians
In order to join in this fast-growing career industry, an associate’s degree in medical technology is required. While any schooling beyond that is completely up to you, it is highly recommended that a bachelor’s degree be obtained in order to ensure job security and productivity.
In addition, after receiving your degree, you may be required to get licensed or registered. Getting certified is a voluntary measure and not always necessary, but it can be a big help when attempting to find your first job as a medical lab technician. You’ll have to get in contact with the department of health in your state, but it will be well worth it, as certification will also make it easier for advancement, which, in turn, will boost your salary.
Salary Range of Lab Technicians
Over the course of your career as a medical lab technician, your salary will be determined by many things. What are some of the deciding factors? First, will be the size of your employer. For example, techs who work in hospitals have been proven to receive a significantly higher salary than those who work in private physician offices. In addition, your geographic location and the economic condition of the state you live in may dramatically affect your salary as well.
Another aspect that will determine your salary as a medical lab technician will be your experience in the field. With time, come experience and knowledge, that experience and knowledge will then increase the quality of your work, and with that, comes an increase in your lab technician salary as well. In addition to this, if you have been certified by the department of health you will likely be promoted in no time, which makes for an even greater increase in pay.
According to the American Medical Association, the average health care salary for medical lab technicians was $34,270 per year in 2007, but the high end made as much as $52,000 per year.
In recent years the expected salary for medical lab technicians has only gone up. Upon starting your career as a medical lab technician with less than two years experience, you can expect to receive an average yearly salary of around $35,000 per year.
If you’re looking for a fast-moving career with a high demand and reliable job security in the medical industry, perhaps you should consider that of a medical lab technician.
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