Special Report · certification, and advocacy. Methodology The 2013 Wage Survey was conducted...

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Special Report

Since 1988, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) has conducted its surveys to determine the extent and distribution of workforce shortages within the nation’s clinical laboratories. This confidential survey has been administered every 2 years and has served as the primary source of information for academic, government, and in-dustry labor analysts. Results from past surveys show that

laboratory medicine is a rapidly evolving field. Although ASCP recognizes the importance of continuity, each time the Wage and Vacancy Survey is administered represents an opportunity to improve its methodology to collect the most current relevant data while maximizing survey par-ticipation. The survey has evolved in response to changes within the field of laboratory medicine. New questions were added to the 2013 survey to examine some of the factors that affect wage and vacancy rates. ASCP con-tinues to gather questions, comments, and suggestions from our members regarding laboratory medicine with the goal of addressing them through this important survey. The results of this survey will also serve as a starting point for futher studies of the laboratory workforce by using the current data collected to conduct in-depth surveys for the purpose of recruitment, retention, education, marketing, certification, and advocacy.

MethodologyThe 2013 Wage Survey was conducted through collabora-tion between ASCP’s Institute of Science, Technology, and Policy in Washington, DC and its Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) in Chicago, IL. Select ASCP members who work in the field of laboratory medicine were recruited to review the survey questions and initial findings. Partner organizations were also invited to participate in complet-ing the survey to identify a broader range of current is-sues facing the laboratory workforce. Electronic survey invitations were sent on March 11, 2013 via Key Survey (an online survey vendor). The survey was closed on April 1, 2013. To maximize survey response, this survey used snowball sampling, in which respondents were asked to forward the invitation e-mail to other individuals who are currently practicing in the field. ASCP also collected in-formation on those who were disqualified from this year’s wage survey for future research studies.

The American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 2013 Wage Survey of Clinical Laboratories in the United StatesEdna Garcia, MPH,1* Patrick B. Fisher, MA2

DOI: 10.1309/LMWO4E34BQGHZXGM

KeywordsWage survey, CME, laboratory workforce, certification, technologists, taskforce on workforce

AbbreviationsASCP, American Society for Clinical Pathology; ASCP BOC, American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification; US, United States; AABB, American Association of Blood Banks; AACC, American Association for Clinical Chemistry; AAPA, American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants; AMT, American Medical Technologists; ASCLS, American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science; ASC, American Society of Cytopathology; ASCT, American Society for Cytotechnology; ASM, American Society for Microbiology; CLMA, Clinical Laboratory Management Association; CCCLW, Coordinating Council on the Clinical Laboratory Workforce; NSH, National Society for Histotechnology; ARUP, Associated Regional and University Pathologists; LabCorp, Laboratory Corporation of America; NAACLS, National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences; CAAHEP, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; VA, Veterans Administration; VHA, Veterans Health Administration; CTs, cytotechnologists; HTs, histotechnicians; HTLs, histotechnologists; MTs/MLSs/CLSs, medical technologists/medical laboratory scientists/clinical laboratory scientists; PAs, pathologists’ assistants; LAs, labo-ratory asssistants; MLT/CLTs, medical laboratory technicians/clinical laboratory technicians; PBTs, phlebotomists; SBBs, specialists in blood banking; STEM, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; CGs, cytogenetic technologists; NS, not significant; NA, not applicable; MBs, molecular biologists.

1ASCP Institute of Science, Technology & Policy, Washington DC2ASCP Board of Certification, Chicago, IL

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]

e98 Lab Medicine Fall 2013 | Volume 44, Number 4 www.labmedicine.com

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The majority of the initial e-mail recipient list, derived from ASCP database, included:

• IndividualswithintheUnitedStates(US)and/orUSTerritories who currently have a certification through ASCP BOC

• IndividualswithintheUSand/orUSTerritorieswhocurrently do not hold certification through ASCP BOC

• Individualswhohavetakenrelevantcontinuing medical education (CME) coursework through ASCP

• IndividualswhohaveparticipatedinrelevantCMEcoursework but are not ASCP BOC certified

ASCP also requested participation from the following enti-ties by allowing the wage survey link to be posted on their web sites and distributed to their members:

• AABB(formerlytheAmericanAssociationofBloodBanks)

• AmericanAssociationforClinicalChemistry(AACC) • American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants

(AAPA) • American Medical Technologists (AMT) • AmericanSocietyforClinicalLaboratoryScience

(ASCLS) • AmericanSocietyofCytopathology(ASC) • AmericanSocietyforCytotechnology(ASCT) • American Society for Microbiology (ASM) • ClinicalLaboratoryManagementAssociation(CLMA) • CoordinatingCouncilontheClinicalLaboratory

Workforce (CCCLW) • NationalSocietyforHistotechnology(NSH) • AssociatedRegionalandUniversityPathologists

(ARUP)Laboratories • LaboratoryCorporationofAmerica(LabCorp) • Quest Diagnostics

Organizations in bold did not participate in the 2013 Wage survey.

The 2013 Wage Survey sought to collect staff-, lead-, supervisor/manager–,andlaboratorydirector–leveldata on the following clinical laboratory occupations:

• Cytogenetic technologist (CG) • Cytotechnologist(CT) • Histotechnician(HT) • Histotechnologist(HTL) • Laboratoryassistant(LA) • Medicallaboratorytechnician/clinicallaboratory

technician(MLT/CLT)

• Medicaltechnologist/medicallaboratoryscientist/clinicallaboratoryscientist(MT/MLS/CLS)

• Molecular biologist (MB) • Pathologists’assistant(PA) • Phlebotomist(PBT) • Specialistinbloodbanking(SBB)

Clinical laboratory occupations that were newly sur-veyed this year are shown in bold.

This year’s wage survey collected data on wages per clinical laboratory occupation included in the survey, wages by fa-cility and institution, and certification. New questions added involved licensure, training sites, wages by state, union rep-resentation, and age of respondents. To further the scope of this survey, ASCP will use its newly acquired geographic information systems (GIS) software along with the wage survey dataset to examine the laboratory workforce not only by state but by regions within states. Doing so will provide a more thorough view of the workforce climate.

FindingsA total of 13,108 responses were received to this year’s wage survey. Table 1 details the total number of respon-dents by occupational title and level. Figure 1 shows the percentage distribution of all survey respondents. The following top 10 states provided most of the survey responses: Texas (7.9%), California (5.7%), Ohio (4.7%), Minnesota (4.5%), Illinois (4.0%), New York (4.0%), Florida (4.0%), Pennsylvania (3.8%), Wisconsin (3.6%), and North Carolina (3.4%). Results indicated that most laboratory personnel held more than one clinical laboratory position; someMT/MLS/CLSstaffworkasmanyas3jobswithintheclinical laboratory field.

Most laboratory professionals who responded to the sur-vey have full-time permanent positions (87.3%), followed by part-time (8.8%); PRN (pro re nata, which is Latin for “when necessary”); on call, as needed (1.7%); per diem (1.2%); and full-time/temporarycontract(0.9%)(Figure 2). Staff- and lead-level respondents indicated that they work, on average, 36to40hoursperweekinthelaboratory.Higher-levellabo-ratorypersonnel,suchassupervisors/managersanddirec-tors, work between 31 and 50 hours on average per week. The average age of laboratory personnel is 44.3 years.

Most of the participants (70.6%) indicated that they had re-ceived their clinical training from National Accrediting Agency


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forClinicalLaboratorySciences(NAACLS)/CommissiononAccreditationofAlliedHealthEducationPrograms(CAAHEP)–accreditedor–approvedtrainingprogram,whereas 23.4% selected “on-the-job training,” 4.6% se-lected “other,” and 1.3% selected “don’t know.” The survey sought information on the type of facility in which a par-ticipant is employed. Over half of the respondents worked

in laboratories serving hospitals with >100 beds, 8.2% worked in reference laboratories, and 0.2% stated that they are employed by a retail laboratory (Figure 3). Re-spondents are employed at academic, community-based, government (local, state, or federal), nonprofit, military (VeteransAdministration[VA]orVeteransHealthAdminis-tration[VHA]),privateindustry,andreferenceinstitutions.

Table 1. Total No. of Responses by Occupational Title and Level

Occupational Level. No.

Occupational Title Staff Lead Supervisor/Manager Laboratory Director Other Total

CG 263 103 72 0 17 455CT 341 86 133 3 14 577HT 354 85 149 3 26 617HTL 164 71 121 5 15 376LA 123 13 7 0 7 150MLT/CLT 1459 181 124 5 31 1800MT/CLS/MLS 4379 1025 1329 238 218 7189MB 57 20 26 0 4 107PA 148 41 33 0 10 232PBT 449 58 25 0 44 576SBB 34 38 100 8 20 200Other 140 105 298 99 187 829Total 7911 1826 2417 361 593 13,108

CG, cytogenetic technologist; CT, cytotechnologist; HT, histotechnician; HTL, histotechnologist; LA, laboratory assistant; MLT/CLT, medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory technician; MT/CLS/MLS, medical technologist/clinical laboratory scientist/medical laboratory scientist; MB, molecular biologist; PA, pathologists’ assistant; PBT, phlebotomist; SBB, specialist in blood banking.

Figure 1

Percentagedistributionofallsurveyrespondents.MT/CLS/MLSindicatesmedicaltechnologist/clinicallaboratoryscientist/medical

laboratoryscientist;MLT/CLT,medicallaboratorytechnician/clinicallaboratorytechnician;HT,histotechnician;CT,cytotechnologist;

PBT,phlebotomist;CG,cytogenetictechnologist;HTL,histotechnologist;PA,pathologists’assistant;SBB,specialistinbloodbanking;

LA, laboratory assistant; MB, molecular biologist.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

MT/C

LS/MLS

54.8%

MLT

/CLT

13.7%

Other

6.3%

HT

4.7%

CT

4.4%

PBT

4.4%

CG

3.5%

HTL

2.9%

PA

1.8%

SBB

1.5%

LA

1.1%

MB

0.8%

Occupation

Dis

trib

utio

n

60%


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Those whose occupation did not fall into any given catego-ries were asked to choose the “Other” option.

Differential pay for evening, nights, or weekend shifts is most common in hospitals with 100 to 299 beds and in nonprofit institutions; it is least common in public health laboratories and military organization (such as the VA and VHA)(Figures 4 & 5). Special rates for employees with

on-call or PRN status are found mostly in reference and independent laboratories and nonprofit institutions and found least in private laboratories and private industry (Figures 6 & 7). Data show that more than 55% of each institution in the survey (academic, community-based, government [local, state, or federal], nonprofit, military [VA orVHA],privateindustry,andreference)offerspremiumpay for overtime, holiday, and weekend work; pension and

Figure 2

Percentage distribution of all survey respondents by employment

status. PRN indicates pro re nata (Latin for “as needed”).

Full-time permanentFull-time temporary/contractPart-timePer diemPRN, on call, as needed

0.9%

8.8%1.2%

1.7%

87.3%

Figure 3

Percentage of employees by facility.

Physician’s Of�ce Laboratory

0 5 10 15 20 25

Percentage of Employees

Faci

lity

Typ

e/C

hara

cter

isti

c

Public health Laboratory0.2%

1.1%1.4%

1.9%2.8%

3.5%3.7%

4.6%4.6%

8.2%13.4%

15.6%17.4%

21.7%

Academic InstitutionPrivate Laboratory

Hospital with 100-299 BedsHospital with > 500 Beds

Blood Center

Retail laboratory–Direct to Consumer

Reference or Independent Laboratory

Pathologist’s Laboratory

Hospital with 300-499BedsHospital with < 100 Beds

OtherOutpatient Clinic Laboratory


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Figure 4

Percentageoffacilitiesofferingdifferentialpayforevening,nights,orweekendshifts,byfacilitytype/characteristics.


0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Percentage

Faci

lity

Typ

e/C

hara

cter

isti

c

13.0%26.0%

46.1%53.1%53.3%53.7%54.2%

66.1%73.1%

84.3%90.1%92.2%93.2%95.6%

Academic InstitutionPrivate Laboratory

Hospital with 100-299 Beds

Hospital with > 500 Beds

Blood Center

Public health Laboratory

Retail laboratory–Direct to Consumer

Reference or Independent Laboratory


Hospital with 300-499Beds

Hospital with < 100 Beds

Other

Outpatient Clinic Laboratory

Figure 5

Percentage of facilities offering differential pay for evening, nights, and weekend shifts, by institution type. VA indicates Veterans

Administration;VHA,VeteransHealthAdministration.

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Percentage

Faci

lity

Typ

e

21.2%

46.8%Nonpro�t

46.7%Academic

45.0%Community-Based

36.4%Other

36.4%Government (Local, State, or Federal)

29.4%Reference

28.5%Private Industry

Military, VA, or VHA

Figure 6

Percentageoffacilitiesofferingspecialrateforemployeeswith“on-call”orPRNstatus,byfacilitytype/characteristic.


0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Percentage

Faci

lity

Typ

e/C

hara

cter

isti

c

11.2%16.4%17.1%

26.4%28.1%

30.1%30.5%

35.0%37.1%

44.9%46.6%47.2%

54.7%62.7%

Academic Institution

Reference or Independent LaboratoryHospital with 100-299 Beds

Hospital with > 500 Beds

Blood Center

Private Laboratory

Public health LaboratoryRetail laboratory–Direct to Consumer


Hospital with 300-499BedsHospital with < 100 Beds

Other

Outpatient Clinic Laboratory


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retirement benefits; and medical and dental benefits. Aca-demic institutions commonly offer tuition assistance and continuing education. Nonprofits often pay for continuing education as a benefit.

Twenty-five percent of all respondents are licensed by the state in which they currently work as a laboratory profes-sional. Those licensed came mostly from California and leastfromHawaii(Figure 8). The survey gathered data

on laboratory professionals in states and territories that requirelicensure:California,Florida,Georgia,Hawaii,Loui-siana, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

Unionrepresentationoflaboratoryprofessionalsismostcommon in New York (26.8%), Washington (24.9%), Califor-nia (22.7%), Oregon (19.1%), Wisconsin (10.1%), Minnesota (9.5%), Michigan (9.9%), Massachusetts (8.8%), and Texas

Figure 7

Percentage of facilities offering a special rate for employees with on-call or PRN (pro re nata, Latin for “when necessary”) status, by

institutiontype.VAindicatesVeteransAdministration;VHA,VeteransHealthAdministration.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Percentage

Faci

lity

Typ

e

60.6%

92.4%Nonpro�t

87.1%

Academic 78.1%

Community-Based

78.4%

Other

76.0%

Government (Local, State, or Federal)

66.5%

Reference

64.7%

Private Industry

Military, VA, or VHA

0

5

10

30%

20

Califo

rnia

21.5%

18.7%

15.2%

11.7%

7.2%6.4%

5.1%3.7% 3.0%

2.3% 2.2% 1.5% 1.4%

New Y

ork

Florid

a

Tennes

see

Louisian

a

Georg

ia

Wes

t Virg

inia

North D

akota

Monta

na

Nevad

a

Rhode Isl

and

Puerto

Rico

Hawaii

Lice

nsed

Res

po

ndan

ts (%

)

Licensure State/Territory

25

Figure 8

Licensed respondents currently working as laboratory professionals, by state.


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(3.0%). Overall, 7.5% of respondents reported being repre-sented by a union at their place of employment.

Although this survey excluded clinical educators and those not actively working in a clinical laboratory, consideration was given to whether a separate survey would be needed for that group. Of the respondents not currently working in a clinical laboratory, 8.9% are clinical laboratory educators, 9.2% are retired, 19.1% are unemployed, and 22.1% work in a laboratory related industry; 40.7% chose the “other” option.

Cytogenetic Technologists The national average hourly wage for staff-level cytogenetic technologists (CGs) is $28.63 (SD, $6.85; Figure 9). Refer-ence and independent laboratories pay a higher hourly wage of $28.45, compared with hospitals with more than 500 beds, at $27.33. (The overall sample size [n <30] for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all facilities surveyed. Therefore, only reference laboratories, independent laboratories, and hospitals with > 500 beds are reported.) Private industry appears to pay an average hourly wage of $29.83, which is higher than the national rate. The hourly compensation

offered by nonprofit institutions is $28.23; academic insti-tutions pay $26.93 hourly. The sample size of less than 30 for CGs who are not certified did not allow for statistically significant comparisons (Tables 2 & 3). The average annual

Figure 9

Averagehourlywageforlaboratorystaff,lead,supervisor/manager,anddirectorpositions,peroccupationaltitle.Samplesizesforsome

occupational levels were less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons. CG indicates cytogenetic tech-

nologist;CT,cytotechnologist;HT,histotechnician;HTL,histotechnologist;LA,laboratoryassistant;MLT/CLT,medicallaboratorytech-

nician/clinicallaboratorytechnician;MT/CLS/MLS,medicaltechnologist/clinicallaboratoryscientist/medicallaboratoryscientist;MB,

molecular biologist; PA, pathologists’ assistant;. PBT, phlebotomist; SBB, specialist in blood banking.

$28.

63$3

2.22 $3

9.35

CG0

10

20

30

40

StaffLeadSupervisor/managerLaboratory director

Occupational Title

Ave

rag

e H

our

ly W

ages

($) 50

60

$31.

45$3

5.20

$37.

09

CT

$23.

96$2

6.81

$31.

29

HT

$26.

63$2

8.76

$32.

41

HTL

$16.

03

LA

$20.

49$2

2.38

$22.

60

MLT

/CLT

$27.

13$3

0.81

$32.

82$3

6.18

MT/C

LS/MLS

$26.

96

MB

$46.

32

$48.

74

PA

$15.

60$1

6.71

PBT

$28.

07$3

2.11

$34.

44

SBB

Table 2. Average Hourly Wage by Occupational Title of Certified vs Noncertified Respondents

Average Hourly Wage

Occupational Title Certified Noncertified

CG $30.36 NSa

CT $32.81 NSa

HT $26.09 $24.48HTL $28.40 NSa

LA $16.52 $16.00MLT/CLT $20.88 $19.89MT/MLS/CLS $28.39 $28.23PBT $16.08 $13.91SBB $31.91 NSa

CG, cytogenetic technologist; CT, cytotechnologist; HT, histotechnician; HTL, histotechnologist; LA, laboratory assistant; MLT/CLT, medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory technician; MT/MLS/CLS, medical technologist/medical laboratory scientist/clinical laboratory scientist; PBT, phlebotomist, SBB, specialist in blood banking; NA, not applicable. NS, not significant;aSample size was less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.


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wages of CGs by job level are listed in Table 4. All (100%) of the CG respondents who are certified had received their certification from ASCP Board of Certification (ASCP BOC).

Lead CGs earn an average hourly wage of $33.22 (SD, $7.53; Figure 9); all our lead-CG respondents report that they are certified and that they make this hourly wage. Supervisor/manager-levelCGsarepaidanaveragehourlyrate of $39.35 (SD, $8.78; Figure 9).

On average, staff-level CGs are aged 39.2 years compared with aged 43.2 years and 46.3 years for leads and supervi-sors, respectively (Figures 10-12). Further analysis of wage data by facilities and institution could not be performed for leadCGsandsupervisors/managersbecausetheresultswould be rendered statistically insignificant (n <30). Certi-ficationdataforsupervisors/managerswerealsotoosmallfor statistically significant analysis.

Cytotechnologists Staff-level cytotechnologists (CT) are paid an aver-age hourly wage of $31.45 (SD, $6.18; Figure 9). Pay rates per hour are highest in reference and independent laboratories and hospitals with more than 500 beds, at $32.82 and $31.04, respectively. The facilities providing lowest hourly pay for staff-level CTs are hospitals with 300 to 499 beds ($30.80) and hospital with 100 to 299 beds ($29.47). The overall sample size (n <30) for this oc-cupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all facilities surveyed. Therefore, we report data from only certain facilities. Academic in-stitutions show a higher hourly pay rate compared to the national average, at $32.74. Staff-level CTs earn an aver-age hourly rate of $32.23 at private industries, $31.12 at nonprofit institutions, and $29.56 at community-based institutions. The sample size constraints also prevented further analysis of wage rate differences in certification of CTs (Tables 2 & 3). All (100%) of the CT respondents who are certified had earned their certifications from ASCP BOC.

Lead CTs earn an average hourly wage of $35.20 (SD, $6.12; Figure 9). All of the lead CTs who participated in the survey are certified and earn $35.20 per hour.

TheaveragehourlywageforCTsupervisors/managersis$37.09 (SD, $8.12; Figure 9). Due to sample-size (n <30), we could not perform wage analysis of the different certi-fication held by individuals. The average annual wages of CT by job level is shown in Table 5.

According to survey results, staff-level CTs have an average age of 43.2 years. Lead CTs appear to be the oldest group among all of the occupational titles, at an average age of 50.3 years. Supervisors, on average, are aged 49.6 years (Figures 10-12). The overall sample sizes (n <30) of CT leads and supervisors were too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by facility and institution.

Table 4. Average Annual Wages of CGsa

CG Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage

Staff $59,530Lead $69,098Supervisor/Manager $81,847

CG, cytogenetic technologist.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.

Table 3. Average Hourly Wage for Laboratory Staff by Certification Designation

Average Hourly Wage

Occupational Title Certified Noncertified

CG $28.93 NSa

CT $31.40 NSa

HT $23.94 $24.13HTL $26.86 NSa

LA $16.09 $15.88MLT/CLT $20.55 $19.44MT/MLS/CLS $27.13 $27.00PBT $15.93 $13.87SBB $28.07 NAb

CG, cytogenetic technologist; NS, not significant; CT, cytotechnologist; HT, histotechnician; HTL, histotechnologist; LA, laboratory assistant; MLT/CLT, medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory technician; MT/MLS/CLS, medical technologist/medical laboratory scientist/clinical laboratory scientist; PBT, phlebotomist, SBB, specialist in blood banking; NA, not applicable.aSample size was less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.bAll SBB respondents are certified.

Table 5. Average Annual Wages of CTsa

CT Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage


CT, cytotechnologist.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.


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Histotechnicians

The national average hourly wage for staff-level histotech-nicians (HTs)is$23.96(SD,$5.09;Figure 9). Pay rates among the laboratory facilities surveyed are comparable except for reference and independent laboratories, which provideHTswiththehighesthourlywageof$24.38.Theoverall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates

by all facilities surveyed. Facilities with significant data but comparable wages include hospitals with 100 to more than 500beds(atbetween$23.50and$24.00/hr).

Community-based institutions and private industries pay staff-levelHTshigherthanthenationalhourlywage,at$24.69 and $24.26, respectively. Nonprofit institutions, however, pay below the national average, at $22.74 per

Figure 10

Averageageofstaffbyoccupationaltitle.SBBindicatesspecialistinbloodbanking;CT,cytotechnologist;LA,laboratoryassistant;HT,

histotechnician;MT/CLS/MLS,medicaltechnologist/clinicallaboratoryscientist/medicallaboratoryscientist;HTL,histotechnologist;

PBT,phlebotomist;MLT/CLT,medicallaboratorytechnician/clinicallaboratorytechnician;CG,cytogenetictechnologist;PA,patholo-

gists’ assistant; MB, molecular biologist.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

SBB

47.0

CT

43.2

LA

43.0

HT

42.7

MT/C

LS/MLS

42.0

HTL

41.9

PBT

41.1

MLT

/CLT

40.1

CG

39.2

PA

37.7

MB

36.0

Ag

e (y

)

Occupational Title

50

0

10

20

30

40

50

CT

50.3

SBB

48.4

MT/C

LS/MLS

46.5

HT

45.4

HTL

44.4

PBT

43.6

MLT

/CLT

43.3

CG

43.2

PA

40.4

Ag

e (y

)

Occupational Title

60

Figure 11

Averageageofleadsbyoccupationaltitle.CTindicatescytotechnologist;SBB,specialistinbloodbanking;MT/CLS/MLS,medical

technologist/clinicallaboratoryscientist/medicallaboratoryscientist;HT,histotechnician;HTL,histotechnologist;PBT,phlebotomist;

MLT/CLT,medicallaboratorytechnician/clinicallaboratorytechnician;CG,cytogenetictechnologist;PA,pathologists’assistant.


Special Report

hour. The overall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all institutions surveyed.

Overall,certifiedHTsarepaidanaveragehourlywageof$26.09,whereasnoncertifiedHTsarepaid$24.48hourly(Table 2).Certifiedstaff-levelHTsearn$23.94perhour,whereasnoncertifiedstaff-levelHTsearnanhourlywageof $24.13 (Table 3). Although it appears that average hourly wagesfornoncertifiedHTsarehighercomparedwiththoseofcertifiedHTs,thelowsamplesizeofnoncertifiedcom-pared with certified individuals may have provided an inac-curatecomparison.OftheHTswhoreportedthattheyarecertified, 99.9% had received their certification ASCP BOC and 0.1% from American Medical Technologists (AMT).

Lead-levelHTsarepaidanaveragehourlyrateof$26.81(SD,$4.96).HTsupervisorsearnanaveragehourlyrateof$31.29 (SD, $7.94; Figure 9). The average annual wages of HTsbyjoblevelareshowninTable 6.

TheaverageageofstaffHTsis42.7years.TheaverageageofleadHTsis45.4yearsandthatofsupervisors/managers is 48.0 years (Figures 10-12). Analysis of wage data by facilities, institutions, and certification for lead and supervisors/managerswasnotperformedbecausetheresults would provide statistically insignificant values.

HistotechnologistsTheaveragehourlywageforstaffhistotechnologists(HTL)is$26.63(SD,$5.98).HTLleadsearnanaveragehourlyrateof$28.76(SD,$6.11).Supervisor/managerHTLsarepaid an average hourly wage of $32.41 (SD, $6.60; Figure 9).TheaverageannualwagesofHTL,byjoblevel,arelisted in Table 7.

StaffHTLshaveanaverageageof41.9years.The average ages of leads and supervisors are 44.5 and 48.8 years, respectively (Figures 10-12).AlloftheHTLsin this survey are certified by ASCP BOC.

Figure 12

Averageageofsupervisors/managersbyoccupationaltitle.SBBindicatesspecialistinbloodbanking;CT,cytotechnologist;MT/CLS/

MLS,medicaltechnologist/clinicallaboratoryscientist/medicallaboratoryscientist;HTL,histotechnologist;HT,histotechnician;MLT/

CLT,medicallaboratorytechnician/clinicallaboratorytechnician;CG,cytogenetictechnologist;PA,pathologists’assistant.

38

40

42

44

46

48

50

SBB

49.7

CT

49.6

MT/C

LS/MLS

49.6

HTL

48.7

HT

48.0

MLT

/CLT

47.1

CG

46.3

PA

43.2Ag

e (y

)

Occupational Title

52

Table 6. Average Annual Wages of HTsa

HT Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage


HTs, histotechnicians.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.

Table 7. Average Annual Wages of HTLsa

HTL Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage


HTLs, histotechnologists.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.


Special Report

Results of the wage difference among laboratory facili-ties, institutions, and individuals with different certification gradesforHTLs(Tables 2 & 3) does not allow for statisti-cally significant comparisons because the respondent group for most of the facilities included in the survey had a sample size of less than 30.

Laboratory AssistantsOn average, laboratory assistant (LA) staff members make $16.03 per hour (SD, $3.52; Figure 9). Certified LAs are paid an average hourly wage of $16.52 and noncertified LAs are paid $16.00 hourly on average (Table 2). Certified staff-level LAs earn an hourly average of $16.09, compared with noncertified LAs, who make an average of $15.88 hourly (Table 3). The average annual wage for staff-level LAs is listed in Table 8.

According to survey results, 96.3% of certified LAs earned their certification from ASCP BOC. Staff LAs have an aver-age age of 43.0 years (Figures 10-12).

Results of the wage difference between laboratory facilities and institutions for LAs do not allow for statistically sig-nificant comparisons. For the same reasons, we could not perform analysis of the national average wage and average age for LA leads and supervisors.

Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs)/Clinical Laboratory Technicians (CLTs)

The national average hourly wage for staff-level medical laboratorytechnicians(MLTs)/clinicallaboratorytechnicians

(CLTs) is $20.49 (SD, $4.39; Figure 9). Pay rates are high-est at hospitals with 300 to 499 beds, at $20.85 per hour, and lowest at physician’s office laboratories, at $19.79 per hour (Figure 13). The overall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statisti-cal analysis of pay rates by all facilities surveyed. Another facility with significant wage data was hospitals with less than 100 beds: the average hourly wage was $22.79. Staff MLTs/CLTsearnhigherthanthenationalhourlyaveragewage in academic institutions, at $21.66. Based on the data we collected, hourly wages by institution type are as follows: nonprofit institutions, $20.57; community-based, $20.53; government (local, state, or federal), $20.00; and private industry, $19.99. The overall sample size (n <30) for certain occupational levels was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all institutions surveyed. Overall,certifiedMLTs/CLTsearnanaveragehourlywageof$20.88andnoncertifiedMLTs/CLTsmakeanaveragehourly wage of $19.89 (Table 2).

Staff-levelMLTs/CLTswhoarecertifiedearn5%morethanthose who are not certified (Table 3).OftheMLTs/CLTs

$19.20 $19.40 $19.60 $19.80 $20.00 $20.20 $20.40 $20.60 $20.80 $21.00

Hourly Wage

Faci

lity

$19.79Physician’s Of�ce Laboratory

$20.23Hospital < 100 Beds

$20.47Hospital 100-299 Beds

$20.68Reference Laboratory orIndependent Laboratory

$20.72Outpatient-Clinic Laboratory

$20.78Hospital > 500 Beds

$20.85Hospital 300-499 Beds

Table 8. Average Annual Wage of Staff-Level LAs

LA Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage

Staff $33,342

LA, laboratory assistant.

Figure 13

Averagehourlywageforstaffmedicallaboratorytechnician/clinicallaboratorytechnician(MLT/CLT)byfacility.


Special Report

who reported that they are certified, 97.8% earned their certification from ASCP BOC, 2.0% from the American Medical Technologists (AMT), and 0.1% from the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB).

LeadMLTs/CLTsarepaidanaveragehourlywageof$22.38 (SD, $4.45; Figure 9).Hospitalswith100to299beds have higher hourly rates, at $24.21, compared with physician’s office laboratories, at $19.79 per hour. The overall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all facilities surveyed. Facilities with significant data for hourly-staff wage were hospitals with 300 to 499 beds ($15.16), outpatient clinic laboratories ($14.95), hospitals with less than 100 beds ($14.30), and hospitals with more than 500 beds ($14.27). Nonprofits pay an average hourly

wage of $22.84; community-based institutions pay $22.57 per hour on average; and private industries pay less than the national average, at $21.75 per hour. The overall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by allinstitutionssurveyed.MLTs/CLTssupervisors/manag-ers earn an average rate of $22.60 (SD, $5.58; Figure 9). AverageannualratesforMLTs/CLTsbyjoblevelcanbefound in Table 9.

Geographically,MLTs/CLTs,regardlessofpositionlevel,are paid significantly higher wages in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Minnesota, In-diana, Michigan, Virginia, and Wisconsin (Figure 14). The averageageofstaffMLTs/CLTsis40.7years. The age of leadsaverages43.3years,andthatofsupervisors/man-agers averages 47.1 years (Figures 10-12). Georgia has theyoungeststaffMLTs/CLTs,atanaverageof37.9years,and the state of Washington has the oldest staff, at an average of 45.3 years (Table 16).

Due to sample-size restrictions (n <30), we could not perform statistical analysis of wage differences between certificationofleads,supervisors/managers,anddirec-tors. We also could not perform further analysis of wage databyfacilityandinstitutionforsupervisors/managersbecause the results would be rendered statistically insig-nificant (n <30).

$35,

694

Miss

issip

pi

$36,

887

Alabam

a

$38,

404

South C

arolin

a

$38,

466

South D

akota

$38,

786

Tennes

see

$39,

094

Iowa

$40,

048

North C

arolin

a$4

0,39

4

Ohio

$40,

867

Texa

s

$41,

144

Louisian

a

$41,

197

Georg

ia

$42,

723

Miss

ouri

$43,

984

Wisc

onsin

$44,

157

Virgin

ia

$44,

540

Mich

igan

$44,

789

Indian

a

$45,

145

Min

nesota

$45,

289

Illinois

$45,

333

Pennsy

lvania

$51,

535

Was

hingto

n

$52,

562

New Je

rsey

$52,

585

Mas

sach

usetts

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

State

Ann

ual W

age

($)

60,000

50,000

Figure 14

Averageannualsalariesformedicallaboratorytechnician/clinicallaboratorytechnician(MLTs/CLSs)bystate,fromlowest-tohighest-

paying. Sample size was less than 30 (n <30) for the rest of the states and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.

Table 9. Average Annual Wage for MLT/CLTa

MLT/CLT Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage


MLT/CLT, medical laboratory technicians/clinical laboratory technicians.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to the salary for a full-time working position.


Special Report

Medical Technologists (MTs)/Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLSs)/Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLSs)

Staff-levelmedicaltechnologists(MTs)/medicallaboratoryscientists(MLSs)/clinicallaboratoryscientists(CLSs)arepaid an average hourly rate of $27.13 (SD, $10.74; Figure 9).

Based on the statistically significant data collected, aca-demic institutions provide the highest hourly pay, at $28.18, forstaffMTs/MLSs/CLSs;physician’sofficelaboratoriesoffer the lowest average hourly rate, at $24.20 (Figure 15). The overall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all facilities surveyed. Therefore, only some of the facilities are reported.

One explanation why academic institutions provide high compensation could be that, mostly, they hire laboratory personnel with more-advanced degrees (for example, bachelor’s degrees). The following institutions provide anaveragehourlywagetostaffMTs/MLSs/CLSsthatsurpasses the national average: military (Veterans Admin-istration[VA]orVeteransHealthAdministration[VHA]),at$27.74; community-based ($27.37); reference ($27.30), and nonprofit ($27.25). Government (local, state, or federal) and private industry pay below the national hourly aver-age,at$26.27and$25.82,respectively.CertifiedMTs/MLSs/CLSsarepaidanaveragehourlywageof$28.39.NoncertifiedMTs/MLSs/CLSsearn,onaverage,$28.23per hour (Table 2).

CertifiedstafflevelMTs/MLSs/CLSsearn,onaverage,$27.13,whereasnoncertifiedMTs/MLSs/CLSsmakeonaverage $27.00 per hour (Table 3). Our data indicate that 94.6%ofcertifiedMTs/MLSs/CLSsreceivedtheircertifi-cation from ASCP BOC, 4.7% from the American Medical Technologist (AMT), and 0.7% from the American Associa-tion of Bioanalysts (AAB).

TheaveragehourlywageforleadMTs/MLSs/CLSsis$30.81 (SD, $20.75; Figure 9). Reference and indepen-dent laboratories pay a significantly high hourly rate for leadMTs/MLSs/CLSscomparedwithallfacilitiessur-veyed, at $40.52. The facility providing the lowest pay is the hospital with less than 100 beds, at $28.67 per hour (Figure 16). The overall sample size (n <30) for this oc-cupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all facilities surveyed. Facilities with significant data for hourly staff wage were hospitals with 300 to 499 beds ($15.16), outpatient clinic laborato-ries ($14.95), hospitals with less than 100 beds ($14.30), and hospitals with more than 500 beds ($14.27). The av-erageageofMT/MLS/CLSstaffbystatecanbeseeninTable 10.

Private industries, academic institutions, and reference institutions pay higher than the national average hourly wage, at $34.52, $31.72, and $30.88, respectively. Types of institutions that pay slightly lower than the national hourly average are nonprofits ($30.44), government (local, state, or federal; $30.02), and community-based ($29.70).

$22.00 $23.00 $24.00 $25.00 $26.00 $27.00 $28.00 $29.00

Hourly Wage

Faci

lity

$24.20Physician’s Of�ce Laboratory

Private Laboratory $25.47



Blood Center

$27.21

Hospital 300-499 Beds

$25.72


$27.25

Reference Laboratory orIndependent Laboratory $27.44

$27.25

Outpatient-Clinic Laboratory

$27.55

Hospital > 500 Beds

$27.84

$28.18Academic Institution

Figure 15

Averagehourlywageforstaffmedicaltechnologist/medicallaboraryscientist/clinicallaboratoryscientist(MT/MLS/CLS)byfacility.


Special Report

AllMT/MLS/CLSleadswhoparticipatedinthesurveyarecertified and earn at least $30.81 per hour.

MT/MLS/CLSsupervisors/managersearnanaveragehourly wage of $32.82 (SD, $8.60; Figure 9). Results indicate that hospitals with more than 500 beds pay the highest hourly wage, at $35.36, whereas physician’s-office laboratories pay $24.99 per hour (Figure 17). The overall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all facilities surveyed. Facilities with significant data for hourly staff wage were hospitals with 300 to 499 beds ($15.16), outpatient clinic laboratories ($14.95), hospitals with fewer than 100 beds ($14.30), and hospitals with more than 500 beds ($14.27). Participant data also reveal that the following institutions provide an hourly compen-sation rate that is higher than the national average for this occupational level: academic ($35.86), government (local, state, or federal; $34.12), and nonprofit ($33.34). Commu-nity-based institutions pay slightly less than the hourly average, at $32.60, and private industry even lower, at $30.00.Onaverage,MT/MLS/CLSlaboratorydirectorsmake $36.18 per hour (SD, $17.95; Figure 9).

Thehighest-payingstatesforallMT/MLS/CLSlevelsareCalifornia, Nevada, Oregon, Connecticut, Massachu-setts, Tennessee, Washington, New York, Arizona, and Maryland (Figure 18).TheaverageannualwageforMTs/MLSs/CLSsbyjoblevelcanbeseeninTable 11.

ThemeanageforstaffMTs/MLSs/CLSsis42.0years.LeadMTs/MLSs/CLSshaveanaverageageof46.5years,andsupervisors/managershaveanaverageageof49.6

Table 10. Staff MT/MLS/CLS Average Age, by Statea

State Staff MT/MLS/CLS Average Age, y

Utah 35.8North Dakota 36.7Minnesota 36.8Louisiana 38.1New Hampshire 38.3Arkansas 38.6North Carolina 38.8New York 39.4South Carolina 39.7Texas 40.1Massachusetts 40.3Alabama 40.3Michigan 40.5Missouri 40.6Montana 40.7Virginia 40.9Kansas 41.3Illinois 41.3Nebraska 41.5South Dakota 41.5Tennessee 41.6Iowa 42.1New Jersey 42.4Washington 42.7Georgia 42.8Maryland 42.9Nevada 42.9Wisconsin 43.3Connecticut 43.4Oklahoma 43.4Pennsylvania 43.5Rhode Island 43.7Maine 43.8Colorado 44.1Ohio 44.1Oregon 45.2Florida 45.7Indiana 45.7Arizona 47.2California 47.5

MT/MLS/CLS, medical technologist/medical laboratory scientist/clinical laboratory scientist; y, years.aSample sizes for other states were less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.

$0.00 $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 $25.00 $30.00 $35.00 $40.00 $45.00

Hourly Wage

Faci

lity




Outpatient-Clinic Laboratory

Hospital > 500 Beds

$40.52

$30.95

$30.90

$30.78

$29.90

Reference Laboratory orIndependent Laboratory

Figure 16

Averagehourlywageforleadmedicaltechnologist/medicallaboratoryscientist/clinicallaboratoryscientist(MT/MLS/CLS)byfacility.


Special Report

years (Figures 10-12).UtahhastheyoungeststaffMTs/MLSs/CLSs,withanaverageageof35.8years,andCali-fornia has the oldest, with an average age of 47.5 years. LeadMTs/MLSs/CLSsinMinnesotahavetheyoungestaverage age, at 44.9 years, and California once again has the oldest leads, at an average of 51.3 years. Last, Minne-sotaagainhastheyoungestgroupofsupervisor/managerMTs/MLSs/CLSs,withanaverageageof45.0years,andTennesseeagainhastheoldestsupervisors/managers,atan average of 53.0 years (Tables 16-18).

Due to sample-size restrictions (n <30), we could not perform statistical analysis of wage differences between certificationofsupervisor/managersandlaboratorydirec-tors. We also did not perform analysis of wage data by facility and institution for laboratory directors because the results would provide statistically insignificant values.

Molecular Biologists

The average hourly wage for staff-level molecular biolo-gists (MBs) is $26.96 (SD, $6.80; Figure 9). According to survey results, MB staff members are the youngest labo-ratory professionals, with an average age of 35.89 years

Table 11. Average Annual Wage for MT/MLS/CLSa

MT/MLS/CLS Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage

Staff $56,430Lead $64,085Supervisor/Manager $77,113Laboratory Director $92,946

MT/MLS/CLS, medical technologist/medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory scientist.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.

$0.00 $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 $20.00 $25.00 $30.00 $35.00 $40.00

Hourly Wage

Faci

lity

Hospital < 100 Beds




$35.36

$35.17

$30.89

$30.89

$24.99

Hospital > 500 Beds

Figure 17

Averagehourlywageforsupervisor/managermedicaltechnologist/medicallaboratoryscientist/clinicallaboratoryscientist(MT/MLS/

CLS) by facility.

Mis

siss

ipp

i$5

5,25

2.46

Mo

ntan

a$5

5,25

3.83

Ind

iana

$55,

492.

52

Wis

cons

in$5

6,07

5.10

Idah

o$5

7,54

7.48

New

Ham

psh

ire

$57,

575.

37

New

Mex

ico

$58,

889.

26

Min

neso

ta$5

9,93

6.16

New

Jer

sey

$60,

332.

78

Rho

de

Isla

nd$6

0,41

2.65

Co

lora

do

$61,

524.

07

Geo

rgia

$62,

155.

98

Mar

ylan

d$6

2,56

0.66

Ari

zona

$62,

801.

11

New

Yo

rk$6

2,81

5.92

Was

hing

ton

$62,

839.

67

Tenn

esse

e$6

2,90

9.36

Mas

sach

uset

ts$6

5,13

8.08

Co

nnec

ticu

t$6

5,81

2.16

Ore

go

n$6

5,87

9.25

Nev

ada

$69,

700.

11

Cal

iforn

ia$9

2,21

5.29

No

rth

Dak

ota

$47,

489.

68

Ark

ansa

s$4

8,11

4.25

Ala

bam

a$5

0,05

8.13

Okl

aho

ma

$50,

938.

86

Loui

sian

a$5

1,42

9.93

Mai

ne$5

2,06

1.43

So

uth

Dak

ota

$52,

279.

37

Uta

h$5

2,39

7.42

No

rth

Car

olin

a$5

2,49

7.99

Iow

a$5

2,52

4.04

Pen

nsyl

vani

a$5

2,69

3.46

Mic

hig

an$5

2,78

0.32

Mis

sour

i$5

2,83

1.10

Kan

sas

$53,

214.

38

Ken

tuck

y$5

3,32

2.43

Wes

t V

irg

inia

$53,

697.

65

Flo

rid

a$5

4,00

5.86

Illin

ois

$54,

018.

69

Neb

rask

a$5

4,14

1.42

Ohi

o$5

4,30

7.33

Vir

gin

ia$5

4,31

5.27

So

uth

Car

olin

a$5

4,70

4.88

Texa

s$5

4,78

6.61

States

Ann

ual W

age

($)

010,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,00090,000

100,000

Figure 18

Averageannualsalariesformedicaltechnologist/medicallaboratoryscientist/clinicallaboratoryscientists(MT/MLS/CLS)bystate,from

lowest- to highest-paying. Sample size was less than 30 (n <30) for the rest of the states and did not allow for statistically

significant comparisons.


Special Report

(Figure 10). The average annual wage for staff-level MBs can be seen in Table 12. Of the MBs who reported that they are certified, 99.5% earned their certification from ASCP Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) and 0.5% from the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB).

Results regarding the wage differences between laboratory facilities, institutions, and certification attainment (Tables 2 & 3) for MBs do not allow for statistically significant com-parisons because respondents in the survey had a sample size of less than 30.

Pathologists’ AssistantsThe national average hourly wage for staff-level patholo-gists’ assistants (PAs) employees is $46.32 (SD, $33.56; Figure 9). The average hourly wage for PAs can be seen in Table 13.Supervisor/manager–levelPAsarepaidanaver-age hourly wage of $48.74 (SD, $9.13; Figure 9).

Staff PAs have an average age of 37.7 years. Leads and supervisors/managersaretheyoungestamongthelabora-tory professionals surveyed, at 40.4 years and 43.2 years on average, respectively (Figures 10-12).

According to survey results, 100.0% of certified PAs are certified by ASCP BOC. We did not perform analysis of wage data by facility, institution, and certification for PAs because the results would provide statistically insignifi-cant values.

Phlebotomists

Staff phlebotomists (PBTs) are paid an average hourly wage of $15.60 (SD, $23.35; Figure 9). Our results indicate that physician’s office laboratories pay the highest hourly wage, at $24.78, and that hospitals with 100 to 299 beds pay the lowest hourly wage, at $13.41. Staff PBTs are paid higher than the average national hourly wage of $19.61 at private industries. Nonprofit and community-based institu-tions pay staff $14.55 and $13.81 per hour, respectively. The overall sample size (n <30) for this occupational level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by all institutions surveyed.

Lead PBTs are paid an average hourly wage of $16.71 (SD, $4.13). Overall, PBTs make an average hourly wage of $16.08, whereas noncertified PBTs earn $13.91 hourly (Table 2). Certified staff-level PBTs earn 12.9% more than those who are not certified (Table 3). Average annual wages for PBT by job level can be seen in Table 14. Our data show that 99.5% of PBTs are certified by ASCP BOC and 0.5% by the American Medical Technologists (AMT).

The data indicate that the average age for staff PBTs is 41.1 years, and that leads have an average age of 43.6 years (Figures 10-12). Results of the wage differences among laboratory facilities, institutions, and certification statusesforleadandsupervisor/managerPBTsdonotallow for statistically significant comparisons because the respondents for most of the facilities included in the survey had a sample size of less than 30. Also, we did not perform furtheranalysisofsupervisors’/managers’averageagedueto sample size restrictions.

Table 15. Average Annual Wages of SBBsa

Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage


SBBs, specialists in blood banking.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.

Table 14. PBT Average Annual Wagesa

PBT Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage

Staff $32,448Lead $34,757

PBT, phlebotomist.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.

Table 13. Average Annual Wage for PAsa

PA Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage

Staff $96,346Lead $101,370

PAs, pathologists’ assistants.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.

Table 12. Average Annual Wage for Staff-Level MBa

MB Job-Level Designation Average Annual Wage

Staff $56,069

MB, molecular biologist.aSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salary.


Special Report

Specialists in Blood BankingStaff-level specialists in blood banking (SBB) are paid an average hourly wage of $28.07 (SD, $6.68). SBB leads earn an average hourly wage of $32.11 (SD, $6.17). The averagehourlywageforsupervisor/managerSBBemploy-ees is $34.44 (SD, $6.24; Figure 9). Average annual wages of SBBs by job level can be seen in Table 15.

All of the SBBs who responded to the survey are certified (Tables 2 & 3). The data indicate that 99.5% of certified SBBs received their certification from ASCP BOC and 0.5% from the American Medical Technologist (AMT).

Staffandsupervisor/managerSBBsaretheoldestgroupof laboratory professionals, with an average age of 47.0 yearsforstaffand49.7yearsforsupervisors/managers.Leads have an average age of 48.4 years (Figures 10-12). Analysis of wage data by facility and institution for SBBs was not performed because the results would provide sta-tistically insignificant values.

SummaryWagesforstaff-andsupervisor/manager-levelcytotech-nologists(CTs),histotechnicians(HTs),histotechnologists(HTLs),medicaltechnologists/medicallaboratoryscientists/clinicallaboratoryscientists(MTs/MLSs/CLSs),and

pathologists’ assistants (PAs); staff laboratory assistants (LAs),medicallaboratorytechnicians/clinicallaboratorytechnicians(MLTs/CLTs),phlebotomists(PBTs),andsupervisor/managerspecialistsinbloodbanking(SBBs)are up this year compared with the wages reported by participantsinthe2010ASCPWagesurvey(http://labmed.ascpjournals.org/content/42/3/141.full).LAsandPBTscon-tinue to have lower salaries and CTs and PAs to have higher salaries than the rest of the laboratory professions surveyed.

Table 17. Lead MT/MLS/CLS Average Age by Statea

State Lead MT/MLS/CLS Average Age, y

Minnesota 44.9Ohio 45.2Wisconsin 45.7Indiana 46.2Illinois 46.7Texas 46.9Massachusetts 47.3New York 47.7Florida 48.2Georgia 48.4California 51.3

MT/MLS/CLS, medical technologist/medical laboratory scientist/clinical laboratory; y, years.aSample sizes for other states were less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.

Table 16. Staff MLT/CLT Average Age by Statea

State Staff MLT/CLT Average Age, y

Georgia 37.9Iowa 38.4Louisiana 38.5South Carolina 38.6Ohio 38.6Texas 38.8Wisconsin 39.5Wisconsin 39.5North Carolina 40.2Michigan 40.6Illinois 41.2Pennsylvania 41.3Massachusetts 41.6Tennessee 41.9Minnesota 42.4Indiana 42.5Virginia 44.3Washington 45.3

MLT/CLT, medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory technician; y, years.aSample sizes for other states were less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons. Table 18. Supervisor/Manager MT/MLS/CLS

Average Age by Statea

Supervisor/Manager State MT/MLS/CLS Average Age, y

Minnesota 45.0Wisconsin 46.1Louisiana 46.6Missouri 47.3North Carolina 48.2Texas 49.5Illinois 49.5Ohio 49.9Indiana 50.6New York 50.7Georgia 50.9Pennsylvania 51.2California 51.8Florida 52.9Tennessee 53.1

MT/MLS/CLS, medical technologist/medical laboratory scientist/clinical laboratory scientist; y, years.aSample sizes for other states were less than 30 (n<30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.


Special Report

Total compensation by occupational title is highest in refer-ence and independent laboratories and hospitals, except for PBTs, who get paid the most at physician’s-office laboratories. Where data allowed for comparisons between certification status, wages tend to be higher for certified laboratory personnel (Tables 2 & 3). Overall, the salary outlook for the laboratory profession appears to be thriving.

Although salaries appear to have increased over time for the overall profession, there is not a considerable differ-ence between the average hourly wages of laboratory professionals working in their current occupational title for 1 to 5 years compared with those working for longer than 30 years (Tables 19-21). Results from the survey also show that higher-level laboratory personnel work an average of 31 to 50 hours per week and that a typical laboratory professional holds more than one job in the clinical laboratory. Laboratory professionals working in more than one clinical laboratory may explain why vacan-cies remain relatively low, but is consistent with a critical shortage of qualified personnel.

In addition to analyzing wages, this survey also asked questions to gain an in-depth perspective on the labora-tory workforce. According to survey results, the young-est laboratory professional group has an average age of 35.9yearsandtheoldest,50.3years,withsupervisors/managers in the older group (Figures 10-12). There have been concerns that the laboratory workforce is aging and

Table 19. Total Number of Years in Current Title for Staff, by Average Hourly Wagea

Time in Current Staff Title, y CG CT HT HTL LA

1-5 $27.60 $29.43 $23.60 $25.99 $14.126-10 $27.87 $30.62 $23.77 $26.47 $16.2511-15 $31.48 $33.16 $25.78 NA NA16-20 NA $35.20 NA NA NA

Time in Current Staff Title, y MLT/CLT MLT/MLS/CLS MB PA PBT

1-5 $19.11 $25.42 $26.47 $36.11 $15.396-10 $20.82 $27.72 NA NA $15.0911-15 $22.55 $29.18 NA NA $16.3316-20 $24.55 $29.34 NA NA NA21-25 $24.29 $30.29 NA NA NA26-30 $24.51 $32.27 NA NA NA31-35 $24.37 $31.73 NA NA NA36-40 NA $31.18 NA NA NA

CG, cytogenetic technologist; CT, cytotechnologist; HT, histotechnician; HTL, histotechnologist; LA, laboratory assistant; MLT/CLT, medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory technician; MT/MLS/CLS, medical ltechnician/medical laboraty scientist/clinical laboratory scientist; MB, molecular biologist; PA, pathologists’ assistant; PBT, phlebotomist, SBB, specialist in blood banking; NA, not applicable; y, years.aSample sizes to determine average wage of other time brackets were less than 30 (n<30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.

Table 21. Total Number of Years in Current Title for Supervisors/Managers by Average Hourly Wagea

Time in Supervisor/ Supervisor/ Current Supervisor/ Manager Manager Title, y Manager HT MLT/CLT MT/MLS/CLS

1-5 29.3 21.5 31.36-10 31.6 21.4 33.711-15 NA NA 32.316-20 NA NA 32.321-25 NA NA 33.726-30 NA NA 35.6

NA, not applicable; y, years.aSample sizes to determine average wage of other time brackets were less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.

Table 20. Total Number of Years in Current Title for Leads by Average Hourly Wagea

Time in Current Title, y Lead MLT/CLT Lead MLT/MLS/CLS

1-5 $21.45 $28.396-10 $21.81 $32.6011-15 NA $30.6316-20 NA $30.9421-25 NA $33.2326-30 NA $32.2731-35 NA $33.69

NA, not applicable; y, years.aSample sizes to determine average wage of other time brackets were less than 30 (n <30) and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons.


Special Report

that the incoming increase in healthcare use will drive the need for more laboratory personnel. Strategic recruit-ment of the next generation of laboratory professionals must take place to fulfill future demands. The Task Force onLaboratoryProfessionalsWorkforceReport(http://www.ascp.org/PDF/Advocacy/ASCP-Task-Force-on-Lab-Pros.pdf) pointed out that one of the main recruitment challenges that could contribute to the shortage of well-trained laboratory professionals is the lack of recognition for laboratorians in the healthcare environment. As a re-sponse, the report offered suggestions such as targeting the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math-ematics) pipeline and providing support to nontraditional students and prospective students from rural areas.

ASCP seeks opportunities to explore the key issues that impact the clinical laboratory workforce. Some of the data we collected will be used for further research, with the goal of generating a separate report for each topic. We plan to explore areas such as wage differences be-tween licensure vs nonlicensure states, wages and union representation, and salaries by regions within a state, as well as conducting a separate survey on those who were disqualified from this survey but work in a closely related field, specifically clinical laboratory educators and those who work in a laboratory related industry. LM

ContributorsAndreaBennett,MPH,MT(ASCP)—ASCPInstitute of Science, Technology & Policy, Washington, DCMatthewSchulze—ASCPInstituteofScience,Technology & Policy, Washington, DC Patricia Tanabe, MPA, MLS(ASCP)CM—ASCPBoard of Certification, Chicago, IL

ReviewersMarkBailey,MA,HTL(ASCP)CM—TheUniversityofTexas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBarbara Caldwell, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSH—Clinical Laboratory Services, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, Olney, MDJoAnne Edwards, MEd, M(ASCP), MLS(ASCP)CM— Consultant, Joint CommissionPhyllisWalker,MS,MT(ASCP)SBB—ConsultantJames Wisecarver, MD, PhD, Division of Clinical Laboratory and Molecular Diagnostics, Department ofPathologyandMicrobiology,UniversityofNebraska Medical Center, Omaha SueZaleski,MA,HT(ASCP)SCT—Departmentof Pathology,UniversityofIowa,IowaCity

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Special Report · certification, and advocacy. Methodology The 2013 Wage Survey was conducted...

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