Medical Technologist Salary Guide

Medical technologists, sometimes called clinical laboratory scientists or medical laboratory scientists, perform various tests and assessments in medical settings to assist clinicians and hospital staff. As a medical technologist, you are responsible for helping clinicians make patient-care decisions based on the information you give them. This could include reading pregnancy tests, analyzing blood samples, preparing tissue samples, and conducting genomic testing. This career field offers a fast-paced environment and the opportunity to impact patients' lives behind the scenes positively.

Explore how much medical technologists earn on average and how to expect factors such as education, certification, location, and experience to influence salary potential. 

How much do medical technologists make?

According to Glassdoor, the average annual base pay for medical technologists is $62,505 [1]. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual salary of $60,780 for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, with an expected annual growth rate of 5 percent [2].

Factors that impact medical technologist salary

While national salary averages are beneficial in giving an idea of what you can expect to earn in a medical technologist position, actual income will vary depending on various factors. For example, San Francisco's cost of living is 86.5 percent higher than the national average, so most positions would likely have higher salaries to help employees cover the cost of living [3].

When comparing paychecks between different opportunities, consider the influences of education, certification, experience, position title, employer, and location.

Education

In many industries, higher educational attainment leads to higher pay. A bachelor’s degree in medical technology or a related field is generally recommended for medical technologists. 

For those who do not have a related bachelor’s degree, completing a medical technologist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency of Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) is an alternative to prepare you for entering this career field. 

After meeting educational requirements, medical technologists must complete a certain number of proctored hours in the lab. Completing additional education, such as obtaining a higher degree or concentrated education in a particular area, can help you prepare to take on more duties in the laboratory and may help you negotiate a higher salary. 

According to Zippia, the average medical technologist's salary figures based on educational level are [4]:

• High school diploma: $47,294

• Associate degree: $52,683

• Bachelor's degree: $58,081

• Master's degree: $59,681

• Doctorate degree: $59,065

Certification

While the US does not have a national certification requirement for medical technologists, several states look for board certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology. Even if your state does not require this certification, completing the examination process may be advantageous during hiring. Payscale reports the average annual salary for individuals with American Society for Clinical Pathology certification as $79,000 [5].

Additional certifications may also help you showcase your professional skills, allowing you to perform additional tasks and stand out in your role. Every year, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) offers certification exams in the following areas, each of which can add credentials to your resume and boost your earning potential. Based on your interests and intended career path, consider the following:

• Medical Lab Scientist: MLS(ASCP)

• Cytologist: CT(ASCP)

• Histotechnologist: HTL(ASCP) 

• Technologist in Blood Banking: BB(ASCP) 

• Technologist in Chemistry: C(ASCP)

• Technologist in Cytogenetics: CG(ASCP)

• Technologist in Hematology: H(ASCP)

• Technologist in Microbiology: M(ASCP)

• Technologist in Molecular Biology: MB(ASCP)

Experience

The salary for a medical technologist typically shows a significant increase with years of experience. According to Glassdoor, medical technologists with 15 or more years of experience can expect to earn over $30,000 more annually than medical technologists in their first year professionally [1]. In general, you can expect salary growth to follow this typical pattern of average annual salaries as experience increases [1]:

• 0–1 year of experience: $54,829

• 1–3 years of experience: $57,001

• 4–6 years of experience: $61,277

• 7–9 years of experience: $66,146

• 10–14 years of experience: $74,343

• 15+ years of experience: $85,106

Position title

Often related to education and experience, your position title is likely to correlate to earning potential. For example, a senior medical technologist brings in an average base pay of $81,463, according to Glassdoor [6], which is nearly $20,000 higher than the average base pay of $62,505 [1] for a medical technologists. If you are in a medical technologist role and believe that your skills and job responsibilities warrant higher pay, discussing a title change or transition into a new position with your employer may lead to a salary increase.

Employer

The type of company you work for, such as a public hospital versus a private practice, may influence your yearly salary. Your organization's team size, company growth, and managerial responsibilities can affect your earning potential.

The BLS reports the following top-paying industries for medical technologists [7]:

• Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals: $74,530

• Federal, state, and local government: $73,680

• Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods: $73,040

• Management of companies and enterprises: $70,960

• Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing: $69,640

According to Zippia, the companies that pay medical technologists the highest salaries are [8]:

• Children's Hospital Colorado: $72,527

• American Red Cross: $67,988

• Mount Auburn Hospital: $66,733

• Club Staffing: $66,561

• Concord Hospital: $66,514

• Health First: $66,391

• Miriam Hospital: $66,154

• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute: $66,067

• Brigham and Women's Hospital: $66,052

• University of Washington: $65,982

Location 

Regarding salary, keeping location and related cost of living in mind is important to ensure you earn a high enough salary to live comfortably. Generally, salaries in larger cities are higher due to higher cost of living, demand, and quality of medical facilities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical technologists earn the highest salaries in New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Oregon, and California. Expected earnings are as follows [7]:

• New York: $81,930

• Oregon: $76,830

• Connecticut: $76,190

• Vermont: $75,660

• New Hampshire: $74,920

For traveling medical technologists, salary will also vary widely by location. According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly salary for a traveling medical technologist is $35, with an average annual salary of $73,307 [9]. The cities that pay the highest include [9]:

• San Buenaventura, CA: $120,020

• Santa Clara, CA: $89,720

• Federal Way, WA: $88,616

• Washington, DC: $88,342

• Culver City, CA: $86,852

• San Francisco, CA: $86,445

• Los Angeles, CA: $84,705

• Marysville, WA: $84,547

• Green River, WY: $84,325

• San Jose, CA: $84,175

As a traveling medical technologist, it may be important to consider areas with higher salaries and higher costs of living to ensure you make smart decisions and seek opportunities that support your desired lifestyle.

How do the salaries of similar positions compare?

Medical technologists earn a high wage due to their advanced education, specialized training, and in-demand expertise. When looking at related positions to determine the right career path for you, you can expect earning potential based on the following average annual salaries from similar careers:

• Phlebotomist: $48,208 [10]

• Biological technician: $48,471 [11]

• Clinical technician: $54,117 [12]

• Medical assistant: $44,779 [13]

Build your medical career with Coursera.

To start your career as a medical technologist, building a strong foundation in job-related skills such as phlebotomy, biology, and hematology can help set you up for certification exams and specialized training. On Coursera, you can find many course offerings to help you succeed in your new position. Check out courses such as Blood Film Morphology - A Practical Guide by the University of Western Australia or Industrial Biotechnology by the University of Manchester to take your next step toward this exciting career.