Find Trade Colleges

Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Major

Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist

29 Associates's Degrees Annually
27 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#180 in Popularity (Associate's)
$122,320 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many cytotechnology/cytotechnologist graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 28
Associate Degree 23
Undergraduate Certificate 5
Basic Certificate 2

What Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, cytotechnology/cytotechnologist majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors

Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

undefined
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to cytotechnology/cytotechnologist:

undefined
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a cytotechnology/cytotechnologist student include the following:

undefined
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with cytotechnology/cytotechnologist:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Cytogenetic Technologists 11.6% NA
Cytotechnologists 11.6% NA
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 11.6% NA

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist?

23 Associate's Degrees Annually
96% Percent Women
9% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 96% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of cytotechnology/cytotechnologist majors is as follows:

undefined
Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 0
Black or African American 1
Hispanic or Latino 0
White 21
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 1

How Much Do Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to cytotechnology/cytotechnologist is $122,320. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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.

Median Salary for a Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Major  122,320
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some degrees associated with cytotechnology/cytotechnologist may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 cytotechnology/cytotechnologist have obtained the following education levels.

undefined
Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.1%
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) 0.5%
Some College Courses 0.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 12.8%
Bachelor’s Degree 50.6%
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. 19.3%
Master’s Degree 9.2%
Doctoral Degree 4.2%
Post-Doctoral Training 4.1%

Online Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist 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) 1 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 1 1
Bachelor’s Degree 3 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 5 0
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Worth It?

The median salary for a cytotechnology/cytotechnologist grad is $122,320 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 207% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,648,400 after 20 years!

undefined

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to cytotechnology/cytotechnologist.

Major Number of Grads
Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist 8,296
Laboratory Sciences & Medical Technology 3,966
Laboratory Technician 3,429
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician 1,193
Other Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions 822
Blood Bank Technology Specialist 319
Histologic Technician 245
Renal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician 184
Histologic Technology/Histotechnologist 147
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technology/Technician 72
Hematology Technology 66
Cytogenetics/Genetics/Clinical Genetics Technology/Technologist 44

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.