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 |