Clinical Laboratory Science

Types of Degrees Clinical Laboratory Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many clinical/medical laboratory science graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	9,843
Bachelor’s Degree	4,002
Associate Degree	2,744
Undergraduate Certificate	1,329

What Clinical Laboratory Science Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to clinical laboratory science and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Clinical Laboratory Science Majors

Clinical Laboratory Science majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Skills for Clinical Laboratory Science Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to clinical laboratory science:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Clinical Laboratory Science Majors

As you progress with your clinical laboratory science degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Clinical Laboratory Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with clinical laboratory science:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Cytogenetic Technologists	11.6%	NA
Cytotechnologists	11.6%	NA
Health Technologists and Technicians	19.6%	$42,920
Histotechnologists and Histologic Technicians	11.6%	NA
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians	14.0%	NA
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists	11.6%	NA
Medical Equipment Preparers	11.1%	$36,240
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians	11.7%	$31,830
Ophthalmic Medical Technologists	19.6%	$42,920
Phlebotomists	24.5%	$34,480
Surgical Technologists	11.7%	$47,300

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science?

This is one of the most frequently chosen trade school majors. It is the 12th most popular in the country with 3,514 students graduating with an associate’s in clinical laboratory science in 2021. The major attracts more women than men. About 81% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of clinical laboratory science majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	241
Black or African American	376
Hispanic or Latino	438
White	1,458
International Students	32
Other Races/Ethnicities	199

Geographic Diversity

Clinical Laboratory Science appeals to people across the globe. About 1.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• Nepal
• China
• South Korea
• Nigeria

How Much Do Clinical Laboratory Science Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $35,560 to $49,040 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to clinical laboratory science. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Clinical Laboratory Science

Some careers associated with clinical laboratory science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to clinical laboratory science have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	13.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	14.4%
Some College Courses	5.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	19.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	28.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	9.5%
Master’s Degree	4.5%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	1.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	1.4%

Online Clinical Laboratory Science Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	134	5
Certificate (2-4 Years)	6	1
Associate’s Degree	327	21
Bachelor’s Degree	44	5
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	65	11
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	5	2
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science Worth It?

The median salary for a clinical laboratory science grad is $37,990 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Trades Related to Clinical Laboratory Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to clinical laboratory science.

Major	Number of Grads
Health & Medical Administrative Services	88,600
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants	85,339
Allied Health Professions	83,905
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services	83,587
Health Sciences & Services	36,762
Mental & Social Health Services	30,331
Dental Support Services	26,024
Somatic Bodywork & Therapeutic Services	10,622
Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies	1,818
Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services	817
Energy & Biologically Based Therapies	89

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.