How much do medical laboratory technicians make in 2026?
Medical laboratory technicians are reported within SOC 29-2010, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, which BLS OEWS May 2025 puts at a national median of $62,930 a year ($30.26 an hour). That series contains two credential levels: two-year medical laboratory technicians (MLT) and four-year medical laboratory scientists (MLS), so technicians sit in the lower half of the published distribution — roughly between the $38,910 10th percentile and the $47,650 25th percentile toward the median — while the $81,450 P75 and $100,990 P90 largely describe scientists, specialists and laboratory supervisors. The clearest pay step available to a technician is completing the bachelor's-level scientist credential. Employment across the series is projected to grow 1.7% through 2034 with roughly 22,600 openings a year. → Full medical laboratory technician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $62,930 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Medical Laboratory Technicians earn a national median $62,930/yr ($30.26/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2010); the P10 to P90 range is $38,910 to $100,990.
- The published series pools two-year technicians with four-year laboratory scientists, so a technician should read the lower half of the $38,910 to $100,990 range rather than the median.
- The clearest pay step is the bachelor's-level scientist credential, which moves you from the technician band into the scientist and specialist part of the same series.
- Growth is slow at 1.7% through 2034, but replacement demand is large — roughly 22,600 openings a year — because the laboratory workforce is ageing and hiring is chronically difficult.
US Medical Laboratory Technician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do medical laboratory technicians earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 29-2010; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-2010, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a medical laboratory technician earn at each career stage?
This SOC code spans two credential levels, so the stages below map the laboratory career ladder rather than seniority in one job. Medians are anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 29-2010.
By State
Which states pay medical laboratory technicians the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the series national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. A handful of states licence laboratory personnel with their own categories and examinations, so check the state's rules before assuming an ASCP credential is sufficient on its own.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($72,370), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
medical laboratory technician pay by state — all 4 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay medical laboratory technicians the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the series national median scaled by the state wage index and then by the published metro index. They describe the pooled clinical laboratory series and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a medical laboratory technician’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does medical laboratory technician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Medical Laboratory Technicians sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify medical laboratory technician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a medical laboratory technician actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Medical Laboratory Technician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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