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Clinical Laboratory Sciences Major

Clinical Laboratory Sciences

35 Associates's Degrees Annually
3,107 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#167 in Popularity (Associate's)
$122,320 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many laboratory sciences & medical technology graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 3,133
Undergraduate Certificate 105
Associate Degree 45
Basic Certificate 37

What Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to clinical laboratory sciences 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 Sciences Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors

A major in clinical laboratory sciences prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • 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.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • 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 Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors

As a clinical laboratory sciences major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

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  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • 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.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Clinical Laboratory Sciences Major?

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

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Cytogenetic Technologists 11.6% NA
Cytotechnologists 11.6% NA
Histotechnologists and Histologic Technicians 11.6% NA

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

45 Associate's Degrees Annually
53% Percent Women
20% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 53% of the graduates are women, and 47% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 2
Black or African American 1
Hispanic or Latino 3
White 34
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 5

How Much Do Clinical Laboratory Sciences Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Clinical Laboratory Sciences majors often go into careers with median salaries of $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 Clinical Laboratory Sciences Major  122,320
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with clinical laboratory sciences 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 clinical laboratory sciences have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 2.7%
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) 4.1%
Some College Courses 0.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 17.8%
Bachelor’s Degree 37.1%
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. 19.6%
Master’s Degree 7.3%
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. 0.9%
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. 0.9%
Doctoral Degree 4.4%
Post-Doctoral Training 4.3%

Online Clinical Laboratory Sciences 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) 15 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 0
Associate’s Degree 11 1
Bachelor’s Degree 24 2
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 39 6
Post-Master’s 3 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 2 1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences Worth It?

The median salary for a clinical laboratory sciences 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!

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

Major Number of Grads
Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist 8,296
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
Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist 101
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.

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