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Histology Technicians: Job Description

Prepare histological slides from tissue sections for microscopic examination and diagnosis by pathologists. May assist with research studies.

What Do Histology Technicians Do?

Typical responsibilities of histology technicians cover:

Cut sections of body tissues for microscopic examination, using microtomes.
Embed tissue specimens into paraffin wax blocks, or infiltrate tissue specimens with wax.
Mount tissue specimens on glass slides.
Stain tissue specimens with dyes or other chemicals to make cell details visible under microscopes.
Freeze tissue specimens.
Operate computerized laboratory equipment to dehydrate, decalcify, or microincinerate tissue samples.
Archive diagnostic material, such as histologic slides and blocks.
Maintain laboratory equipment, such as microscopes, mass spectrometers, microtomes, immunostainers, tissue processors, embedding centers, and water baths.

What Histology Technicians Need to Know

Top histology technicians draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Active Listening 3.5 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.5 / 5

Reading Comprehension 3.4 / 5

Complex Problem Solving 3.2 / 5

Monitoring 3.2 / 5

Judgment and Decision Making 3.1 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Chemistry 3.8 / 5

Biology 3.8 / 5

English Language 3.3 / 5

Administrative 3.0 / 5

Administration and Management 2.8 / 5

Education and Training 2.7 / 5

This career also goes by job titles like:

Certified Histologic Technician (Certified Histologic Tech)
Clinical Histology Technician (Clinical Histology Tech)
Histologic Aide
Histologic Technician (HT)
Histologist
Histology Assistant
Histology Consultant
Histology Coordinator

How Many Histology Technicians Are There?

There are about 2,955,520 histology technicians working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -0.2% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Histology Technicians

Salary for Histology Technicians

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$80,721
Hourly median	$38.81
10th percentile	$47,438
25th percentile	$64,080
75th percentile	$97,363
90th percentile	$114,005

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

Tech Stack

Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

The on-the-job environment of histology technicians is shaped by the following characteristics:

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls

Getting Started in This Career

Entry-level histology technicians positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Microbiologists (Supplemental)
Molecular and Cellular Biologists (Supplemental)
Biological Technicians (Primary-Long)
Chemical Technicians (Supplemental)
Physicians, Pathologists (Supplemental)
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (Primary-Short)
Cytogenetic Technologists (Primary-Short)
Cytotechnologists (Primary-Short)

Top Programs to Study For This Career

Future histology technicians typically earn programs in:

7 programs across 2 majors

About the Data

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 29-2012.01 (Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians).

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