Lab tech job market: growth projections, pay and other essential data

The COVID-19 pandemic brought higher visibility to medical labs and the people who make them run. Becker's Hospital Review has compiled job data for lab technicians and distilled it to the most essential data points.

There are 28,393 diagnostic and medical labs in the U.S. as of 2021, an increase of 1.5 percent from 2020, according to industry research firm IBISWorld. California holds more labs than any other state in the U.S.

Top 3 states by lab concentration:

1. California. 2,401 labs

2. Florida. 1,691 labs

3. Texas. 1,574 labs

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that lab technician jobs will see faster growth than the average across the job market as a whole.

10-year employment forecast:

Job growth, 2020-30

11% (Faster than average)

Jobs added, 2020-30

36,500

Annual pay for lab technicians can range from just over $30,000 to more than $80,000, according to BLS data released March 31.

National estimates:

No. of employed lab techs (U.S.)

Avg. hourly pay

Avg. salary

326,220

$26.92

$55,990

Percentile wage estimates:

Percentile

10%

25%


Median

75%

90%

Hourly wage

$15.12

$19.08

$26.05

$33.48

$40.24

Annual wage

$31,450

$39,680

$54,180

$69,650

$83,700

 

Pay, employment by job setting:

 

Employment 

Percent of industry employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage 

General medical and surgical hospitals

154,780

2.77

$27.70

$57,610

Medical and diagnostic laboratories

65,990

24.20

$26.63

$55,390

Offices of physicians

28,460

1.10

$24.44

$50,830

Colleges, universities, and professional schools

13,890

0.46

$26.31

$54,720

Other ambulatory health care services

12,090

3.92

$23.61

$49,110

 

Pay, employment by industry segment:

 

Employment 

Percent of industry employment

Hourly mean wage

Annual mean wage 

Equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers

150

0.02

$33.72

$70,140

Measuring, control, and electromedical instruments manufacturing

150

0.03

$33.51

$69,700

Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing

(Not available)

(Not available)

$31.08

$64,640

Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

3,760

1.41

$30.86

$64,180

 

All 50 states ranked by employed lab technicians per 1,000 jobs statewide (left) and by average pay (right):

State

No. of employed lab techs

LTs per 1,000 jobs

Rank

State

Hourly mean wage

Mean salary

Massachusetts

11,460

3.422

1

Alaska

$33.36

$69,390

Missouri

8,920

3.314

2

Connecticut

$33.34

$69,340

Utah

4,880

3.279

3

New York

$33.00

$68,630

South Dakota

1,310

3.175

4

Rhode Island

$32.97

$68,570

Mississippi

3,360

3.119

5

Oregon

$32.66

$67,930

Tennessee

8,860

3.05

6

California

$32.17

$66,900

North Dakota

1,220

3.048

7

District of Columbia

$31.90

$66,350

Arizona

8,460

2.986

8

New Jersey

$31.38

$65,260

Michigan

11,590

2.954

9

New Hampshire

$30.70

$63,850

Alabama

5,480

2.88

10

Washington

$30.25

$62,930

North Carolina

12,200

2.844

11

Nevada

$29.74

$61,860

Oklahoma

4,330

2.771

12

Hawaii

$29.73

$61,840

Wisconsin

7,460

2.753

13

Minnesota

$28.77

$59,840

Vermont

770

2.738

14

Massachusetts

$28.76

$59,810

Maryland

6,900

2.736

15

Colorado

$28.45

$59,170

Georgia

11,790

2.736

16

Delaware

$28.17

$58,600

Kansas

3,560

2.669

17

Vermont

$27.82

$57,870

Indiana

7,730

2.649

18

Maryland

$27.63

$57,470

Illinois

14,630

2.599

19

Montana

$27.44

$57,080

West Virginia

1,690

2.597

20

Wisconsin

$26.93

$56,020

Florida

21,420

2.538

21

Maine

$26.89

$55,940

Connecticut

3,890

2.524

22

Wyoming

$26.66

$55,450

Pennsylvania

13,440

2.438

23

Virginia

$26.52

$55,160

Louisiana

4,290

2.382

24

Kentucky

$26.50

$55,120

Minnesota

6,410

2.366

25

Tennessee

$26.28

$54,660

Alaska

680

2.309

26

Pennsylvania

$26.23

$54,560

Maine

1,330

2.308

27

Nebraska

$26.11

$54,300

Ohio

11,830

2.303

28

Ohio

$25.83

$53,730

Virginia

8,270

2.234

29

North Dakota

$25.57

$53,190

Rhode Island

990

2.226

30

Florida

$25.46

$52,970

Kentucky

3,950

2.216

31

Illinois

$25.34

$52,720

Arkansas

2,600

2.21

32

Michigan

$25.34

$52,720

Texas

26,240

2.168

33

Texas

$25.24

$52,500

Montana

970

2.139

34

North Carolina

$25.20

$52,420

Hawaii

1,200

2.085

35

Arizona

$24.54

$51,040

South Carolina

4,150

2.061

36

New Mexico

$24.39

$50,740

Washington

6,560

2.053

37

South Carolina

$24.36

$50,660

New York

17,470

2.01

38

West Virginia

$24.31

$50,570

New Jersey

7,300

1.93

39

Louisiana

$24.29

$50,530

Colorado

4,920

1.91

40

Georgia

$24.25

$50,440

Nebraska

1,690

1.789

41

Idaho

$24.06

$50,040

Iowa

2,600

1.769

42

Missouri

$23.98

$49,890

Wyoming

450

1.707

43

Kansas

$23.95

$49,810

Oregon

3,060

1.691

44

Iowa

$23.91

$49,720

California

27,530

1.676

45

South Dakota

$23.84

$49,580

New Mexico

1,260

1.601

46

Utah

$23.56

$49,000

Nevada

1,870

1.494

47

Oklahoma

$23.40

$48,670

District of Columbia

990

1.439

48

Indiana

$23.27

$48,410

Delaware

590

1.386

49

Alabama

$22.17

$46,120

Idaho

980

1.367

50

Mississippi

$22.10

$45,970

New Hampshire

710

1.147

51

Arkansas

$21.79

$45,320

 

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