The American Society for Clinical Pathologyrsquos 2015 WageSurvey of Medical Laboratories in the United States

Edna Garcia MPH1 and Patrick B Fisher MA2

From the 1American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Institute of Science Technology and Policy Washington DC and 2ASCP Board of

Certification Chicago IL

Key Words Wage survey CME Laboratory workforce Certification Technologists Taskforce on workforce Recruitment Retention

Am J Clin Pathol April 2017147334-356

DOI 101093AJCPAQW220

ABSTRACT

Objectives To inform the pathology and laboratory field of

the most recent national wage data from the American Society

for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Historically the results of this

biennial survey have served as a basis for additional research

on laboratory recruitment retention education marketing

certification and advocacy

Methods The 2015 wage survey was conducted through

collaboration between the ASCPrsquos Institute of Science

Technology amp Policy in Washington DC and the ASCP

Board of Certification in Chicago Illinois Electronic sur-

vey invitations were sent to individuals who are currently

practicing in the field

Results Data reveal increased salaries since 2013 for all

staff-level laboratory professionals surveyed except phlebot-

omists and pathologistsrsquo assistants Laboratory assistants

and phlebotomists regardless of level continue to have

lower salaries while pathologistsrsquo assistants and adminis-

tration personnel have higher salaries than the rest of the

laboratory professions surveyed

Conclusions Survey results put emphasis on strategic re-

cruitment and retention by laboratory training programs

and institutions that hire laboratory professionals

Since 1988 the American Society for Clinical

Pathology (ASCP) has conducted its wage survey to in-

form the pathology and laboratory field of the most recent

national wage data This confidential survey has been ad-

ministered 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 the

ASCP recognizes the importance of continuity each adminis-

tration of the wage survey represents an opportunity to im-

prove its methodology to collect the most current relevant

data while maximizing survey participation The ASCP con-

tinues to gather questions comments and suggestions from

our members regarding the profession with the goal of ad-

dressing them through this important survey The results of

this survey will also serve as a starting point for further stud-

ies of the laboratory workforce by using the current data col-

lected to conduct in-depth surveys for the purpose of

recruitment retention education marketing certification

and advocacy

Materials and Methods

The 2015 wage survey was conducted through collabo-

ration between the ASCPrsquos Institute of Science

Technology and Policy in Washington DC and its Board

of Certification (ASCP BOC) in Chicago Illinois The Wage

Survey Working Group whose members work in the field of

pathology and laboratory medicine reviewed the survey

questions and critiqued the report Partner organizations

were also invited to participate in completing the survey to

get a larger scope of the current issues faced by the labora-

tory workforce Electronic survey invitations were sent on

334 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356DOI 101093ajcpaqw220

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AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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May 28 2015 via Key Survey (an online survey tool

HighRoad Solution Ashburn VA) The survey was closed

on July 19 2015 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 The ASCP also collected

information on those who were disqualified from this yearrsquos

wage survey (ie clinical laboratory educator retired unem-

ployed working in laboratory-related industry working in a

non-laboratory-related industry working in a research labo-

ratory) for future research studies

The majority of the initial e-mail recipient list derived

from the ASCP database included the following

bull Individuals within the United States andor US territories

who currently have a certification through the ASCP

BOC

bull Individuals within the United States andor US territories

who currently do not hold certification through the

ASCP BOC

bull Individuals who have taken relevant continuing medical

education (CME) coursework through the ASCP

bull Individuals who have participated in relevant CME

coursework but are not ASCP BOC certified

The following partnering entities also participated in the

survey deployment

bull AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood

Banks)

bull American Association for Clinical Chemistrybull American Medical Technologistsbull American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciencebull American Society of Cytopathologybull American Society for Cytotechnologybull American Society for Microbiologybull Clinical Laboratory Management Associationbull National Society for Histotechnologybull Philippine Association of Medical TechnologistsndashUSA

The 2015 wage survey sought to collect staff- lead- super-

visor- manager- and laboratory directorndashlevel data on the

following clinical laboratory occupations

bull Administrationbull Cytogenetic technologist (CG)bull Cytotechnologist (CT)bull Histotechnician (HT)bull Histotechnologist (HTL)bull Laboratory assistant (LA)bull Laboratory information system (LIS) professionalbull Medical laboratory technicianclinical laboratory techni-

cian (MLTCLT)

bull Medical laboratory scientistmedical technologistclini-

cal laboratory scientist (MLSMTCLS)

bull Molecular biologist (MB)bull Pathologistsrsquo assistant (PA)

bull Performance improvement or quality assurance

(PIQA)

bull Phlebotomist (PBT)bull Point of care (POC)bull Specialist in blood banking (SBB)

Clinical laboratory occupations that were newly surveyed

this year are shown in bold POC was included in the survey

but the overall sample sizes (lt30) were too small for mean-

ingful statistical analysis

This yearrsquos wage survey collected data on wages by

clinical laboratory occupation included in the survey wages

by facility department certification state total years of ex-

perience and age New questions added involved asking the

respondents from what budget their salaries are paid and

demographics such as age sex and ethnicity 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

Key Findings

A total of 16661 responses were received in this yearrsquos

wage survey This shows a 2133 increase in participation

compared with the 2013 wage survey Demographic data

collected indicate that 8096 of the respondents are female

and 1904 are male Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the

percentage distribution of all survey respondents by ethnic-

ity and level of education respectively The average age of

laboratory personnel who responded to the survey is 4395

years compared with 4432 years in 2013

Table 1 details the total number and percentage of re-

spondents by occupational title By occupational level the

percent distribution of respondents is staff (6199) lead

(1478) supervisor (1136) manager (701) director

(372) and other (114) The following top 10 states pro-

vided most of the survey responses Texas (759)

California (579) Minnesota (451) Ohio (446) New

York (434) Illinois (426) Pennsylvania (403)

Florida (399) Wisconsin (348) and North Carolina

(347) Results indicated that most laboratory personnel

currently have one employer (8736) followed by two

employers (936) and over three employers (328) within

the medical laboratory field Most laboratory professionals

who responded to the survey have full-time permanent posi-

tions (8846) followed by part-time (792) PRN (pro re

nata) on call or as needed (167) per diem (109) and

full-timetemporary contract (086) Those who reported

working as full-timetemporary contract personnel were either

traveling laboratory professionals or subcontractors

Most of the participants (5558) indicated that they

had received their clinical training from a National

Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences ac-

credited or approved training program whereas 2513

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

selected ldquoon-the-job trainingrdquo 456 selected Commission

on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

282 selected military 266 selected Accrediting Bureau

of Health Education Schools and 925 selected ldquodonrsquot

knowotherrdquo The survey sought information on the type of

facility in which a participant is primarily employed Figure

3 as well as the department that best fits his or her employ-

ment Figure 4 Most respondents are employed in aca-

demic and nonacademic hospital facilities and are

generalists or work in multiple departments

Of all the respondents 2160 are licensed by the state

in which they currently work as a laboratory professional

Licensed respondents are mostly from California and the

least are from Washington DC The survey gathered data

on laboratory professionals in states and territories that re-

quire licensure California Florida Georgia Hawaii

Louisiana Montana Nevada New York North Dakota

Rhode Island Tennessee Washington DC West Virginia

and Puerto Rico Figure 5

Overall 728 of respondents reported being represented

by a union at their place of employment Most of the respon-

dents are represented by Service Employees International

Union 1199 (5248) followed by federal union (2886)

Table 1Total Number () of Responses by Occupational Titlea

Occupational Title No ()

MLSMTCLS 8601 (5162)

MLTCLT 2483 (1490)

PBT 1077 (646)

HT 772 (463)

CT 554 (333)

HTL 542 (325)

CG 511 (307)

Other 451 (271)

PA 286 (172)

LA 278 (167)

SBB 227 (136)

PI or QA 212 (127)

MB 210 (126)

Administration 210 (126)

Pathologist 95 (057)

LIS 93 (056)

Point of care 59 (035)

Total 16661 (10000)

CG cytogenetic technologist CT cytotechnologist HT histotechnician HTL histo-

technologist LA laboratory assistant LIS laboratory information systems MLT

CLT medical laboratory technicianclinical laboratory technician MLSMTCLS

medical laboratory scientistmedical technologistclinical laboratory scientist MB

molecular biologist PA pathologistsrsquo assistant PI or QA performance improvement

or quality assurance PBT phlebotomist SBB specialist in blood bankingaPercentage distribution of all survey respondents

167

709

1761

5911

1227

220

High schoolGED

College credit not equivalent to a degree

Associates degree

Bachelors degree

Masters degree

MD DO PhD or other advanced degree

Figure 2 Percent distribution of all survey respondents by

level of education

091

783

759

7574

536

041216

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Caucausian

Hispanic or Latino

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Other

Figure 1 Percent distribution of all survey respondents by

ethnicity

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

336 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology336 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

United Food and Commercial Workers (711) University

Professional and Technical Employees (671) and United

University Professions (483) The new question added this

yearmdashldquoFrom which budget is your salary paidrdquomdashrevealed

that salaries mainly come from the laboratory general budget

as part of the hospital or organization Figure 6

This year comparison between certified and noncerti-

fied laboratory personnel was not performed because the

low sample size of noncertified compared with certified in-

dividuals provided an inaccurate comparison

Cytogenetic Technologists

The national mean (SD) hourly wage for staff-level

CGs is $3110 ($859) Figure 7 Staff CGs are aged 4069

years on average

CG leads earn a mean (SD) hourly rate of $3551

($729 Figure 7) On average leads are aged 4370 years

CG supervisors are paid a mean (SD) hourly wage of $3863

($945 Figure 7) The average annual wages of CGs by job

level are listed in Table 2 On average supervisor-level

CGs are aged 4606 years

The highest paying type of facility for all CGs is private

industries at an average of $3277 per hour followed by aca-

demic hospitals with more than 500 beds at $3229 and refer-

enceindependent laboratories that pay an hourly wage of

$3160 The average age for all CG respondents is 4212

years which is younger than the national average Figure 8

This survey also looked at average wage by department

Most CG respondents work in the cytogenetics department

and are paid $3249 per hour The highest paying state for

all CG levels is California and the lowest paying state is

North Carolina Table 3 On average a CG has 1395 total

years of experience working in the laboratory field and 995

average years of working in his or her current occupational

title Figure 9 and Figure 10

The sample size (lt30) for each occupational level was

too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates by

all facilities and states surveyed For the same reason analy-

sis of the average age by state for CGs was not performed

1495

1119

876

824

754

751

626

505

396

359

337

263

250

239

208

172

156

128

118

106

097

088

061

043

020

010

00 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Outpatient clinic laboratory

Physicians office laboratory

Nonacademic hospital gt500 beds

Nonprofit

Military VA VHA

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Private industry

Community-based

PathologistClinical scientist laboratory

Other

Government

Blood center

Education

Reference

Public health laboratory

Clinic-based histology laboratory

Retail laboratorymdashdirect to consumer

Veterinary

Academic health centersmdashoutpatient

Percentage of Employees

Fa

cil

ity

Ty

pe

Ch

ara

cte

ris

tic

Figure 3 Percentage of respondents by facility VA Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Veterans Health Administration

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 337DOI 101093ajcpaqw220337Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

1971

1659

840

663

645

635

555

535

444

366

297

295

265

226

167

116

084

082

079

045

029

000 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

Generalists

AllMultiple departments

MicrobiologyVirology

Core laboratory

Blood bank

Phlebotomy

Histology

Anatomic pathology

HematologyCoagulation

Chemistry toxicology

Other

Cytogenetics

Cytology

Molecular pathology

LIS-QA-PI

Immunology

Flow cytometry

Specimen processing

Point of care

HLA

Sendouts

Percentage of Employees

Dep

art

men

t

Figure 4 Percentage of respondents by department HLA human leukocyte antigen LIS laboratory information system PI

performance improvement QA quality assurance

2285

2065

1718

1109

720

478

306 295 247 245175 170

114 075

0

5

10

15

20

25

Lic

en

se

d R

esp

on

de

nts

(

)

Licensure StateTerritory

Figure 5 Licensed respondents currently working as a laboratory professional by state (nfrac143598)

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

338 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology338 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

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6920

1770

695253 192 110 060

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Laboratorygeneral budgetas part of the

hospital ororganization

I dont know Privatelaboratory

Medical group(pathologists)

Other Government University

Dis

trib

uti

on

(

)

Budget Where Salaries Are Paid

Figure 6 Budget where salaries are paid

$311

0

$323

9

$244

1

$268

2

$164

5

$208

9

$279

0

$274

5

$433

0

$383

7

$149

7 $

285

1

$336

1

$355

1

$347

4

$280

1

$305

1

$178

2

$235

5

$315

4

$346

5 $478

1

$169

6 $

310

5

$386

3

$369

5

$307

3

$319

1

$253

3

$334

3

$386

6 $515

8

$210

8 $344

3

$436

3

$421

1

$401

9

$317

5

$331

3

$422

5

$450

5

$431

5

$379

9

$591

0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Ave

rag

e H

ou

rly W

ag

e (

$)

Occupational Title

Staff

Lead

Supervisor

Manager

Director

Figure 7 Average hourly wage for laboratory staff lead supervisormanager and director positions per occupational title

Sample sizes for some occupational levels were less than 30 and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons For defi-

nitions of abbreviations see Table 1

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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Cytotechnologists

Staff-level CTs are paid a mean (SD) hourly wage of

$3239 ($636 Figure 7) Pay rates per hour for staff are

highest in reference and independent laboratories at

$3355 Academic hospitals with more than 500 beds

and nonacademic hospitals pay $3180 and $3162

respectively The facilities providing the lowest hourly pay

for staff-level CTs are nonacademic hospitals with 0 to 99

beds at $3095 The overall sample size (lt30) 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 According to

Table 2Average Annual Wages by Occupational Title and Levela

Occupational Title

Average Annual Wagesb

Staff Lead Supervisor Manager Director

CG $5956084 $7386766 $8034000 c c

CT $6594283 $7226482 $8616969 $9097138 c

HT $5743858 $5826184 $6987010 $8759371 c

HTL $6091316 $6345144 $7837016 $8359339 c

LA $3421184 $3705832 c c c

LIS $6990646 c c c c

MLTCLT $3973288 $4898192 $5730647 $6603707 c

MLSMTCLS $5738277 $6496662 $7659477 $8326301 $9699018

MB $5421433 $7207803 $8042337 c c

PA $9179712 $9946157 $10728774 c c

PI or QA $7980960 c $8829600 c c

PBT $3114238 $3527514 $4384286 c c

SBB $5929040 $6457922 $7486350 $9370968 c

Administration c c c $8976237 $12283348

aFor definitions of abbreviations see Table 1bSome annual wages listed were made equivalent to a full-time salarycSample size constraints prevented further analysis of wage rate

5362

49734864 4767 4759 4660

4518 4436 43984212 4212

4107 4101 4004 3947

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Ave

rag

e A

ge

(y)

Ocupational Title

Figure 8 Average age of all respondents by occupational title For definitions of abbreviations see Table 1

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

340 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology340 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

survey results staff-level CTs have an average age of

4425 years

Lead CTs earn a mean (SD) hourly wage of $3474

($524 Figure 7) Their average age is 4754 years The

mean (SD) hourly wage for CT supervisors is $3695

($838 Figure 7) They are on average aged 4947 years

CT managers earn a mean (SD) hourly wage of $4363

($812 Figure 7) The average annual wages of CTs by job

level are shown in Table 2 The mean age for managers is

5214 years Analysis of average hourly wages paid by facil-

ities for leads supervisors managers and directors was not

performed due to the small sample size (lt30) of each level

Of the facilities that were analyzed academic hospitals

with 300 to 499 beds show the highest hourly pay rate at

$3534 for all CT respondents regardless of level All CTs

earn an average hourly rate of $3408 at referenceindepen-

dent laboratories $3295 at nonacademic hospitals with 300

to 499 beds $3286 at pathologistclinical scientist laborato-

ries and $3280 at academic hospitals with more than 500

beds The average age for all CT respondents is 4660 years

which is older than the national average (Figure 8)

Most CT respondents work in anatomic pathology and

cytology departments The hourly compensation offered by

these departments is on average $3318 and $3364 respec-

tively Regardless of position level California pays CTs the

highest and Ohio the lowest Table 4 Results indicate that

on average CTs have 1812 total years of experience in the

field and have been in their current position for 1210 years

the most number of years of experience and working in

their current title among all the groups surveyed (Figures 9

and 10)

Analysis of pay rates by all 50 states and the average age by

state for CTs was not performed due to the small sample size

Histotechnicians

The national mean (SD) hourly wage for staff-level

HTs is $2441 ($492 Figure 7) Pay rates among the

Table 3Average Annual Salaries for Cytogenetic Technologists by

State From Highest to Lowest Payinga

Cytogenetic Technologist Hourly Wage

California $4379

Massachusetts $3633

Arizona $3571

Minnesota $3296

Tennessee $3082

Virginia $2923

Texas $2769

North Carolina $2419

aSample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons

1812

1700

1606 15961543

14701424 1395

12911214

11601126

1058

849

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

To

tal Y

ea

rs o

f E

xp

eri

en

ce

Occupational Title

Figure 9 Average years of total experience in the laboratory field by occupational title For definitions of abbreviations see

Table 1

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

laboratory facilities surveyed are comparable except for

nonacademic hospitals with 100 to 299 beds which provide

staff HTs with the highest hourly wage of $2533 Academic

hospitals with more than 500 beds and referenceindepen-

dent laboratories pay $2533 and $2522 respectively

Academic hospitals with 300 to 499 beds and 100 to 299

beds both pay an average hourly wage of $2414 Clinic-

based histology laboratories pay $2484 an hour and nonaca-

demic hospitals with 300 to 499 beds pay the least at

$2411 The average age of staff HTs is 4211 years

Lead-level HTs are paid a mean (SD) hourly rate of

$2801 ($623) The average age of lead HTs is 4601 years

HT supervisors earn a mean (SD) hourly rate of $3073

($664) and HT managers are paid $4211 ($1355

Figure 7) The average annual wages of HTs by job level are

listed in Table 2 Supervisors and managers are aged 4749

years and 4860 years on average respectively

Overall all HT respondents are paid the highest in

nonacademic hospitals with over 500 beds at $3385 per

hour and least in private industries at $2482 Figure 11

The average age for all HT respondents is 4398 years simi-

lar to the national average (Figure 8)

Anatomic pathology departments pay HTs an average

hourly wage of $2590 while histology departments pay

$2566 Geographically HTs regardless of position level

are paid a significantly higher wage in California and the

lowest in New York Table 5 According to the survey re-

sults HTs have an average of 1424 years of total experi-

ence in the laboratory field and have been in their current

position for 935 years (Figures 9 and 10)

The overall sample sizes (lt30) for occupational levels

were too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates

by all facilities and states surveyed Therefore we report data

from only certain facilities For the same reason analysis of

the average age by state for HTs was not performed

Histotechnologists

The mean (SD) hourly wage for staff HTLs is $2682

($623 Figure 7) Pay rates for staff are highest at academic

hospitals with 300 to 499 beds at $2807 Academic

1210

1123

1038995

952 935 913887 872 859

824794

754

692

556

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14A

vera

ge Y

ears

Occupational Title

Figure 10 Average years of working in current occupational title For definitions of abbreviations see Table 1

Table 4Average Annual Salaries for Cytotechnologists by State From

Highest to Lowest Payinga

Cytotechnologist Hourly Wage

California $4584

Minnesota $3425

Texas $3416

Florida $3333

Pennsylvania $3096

Ohio $3044

aSample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

342 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology342 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

hospitals with over 500 beds pay $2782 and referencein-

dependent laboratories pay $2688 Staff HTLs have an av-

erage age of 4275 years

Lead-level HTLs are paid a mean (SD) hourly rate of

$3051 ($640) The average age of lead HTs is 4486 years

Supervisor HTLs are paid a mean (SD) hourly wage of

$3191 ($630 Figure 7) The average age for supervisors is

4818 years Manager HTLs earn a mean (SD) hourly wage

of $4019 ($1346 Figure 7) The average annual wages of

HTLs by job level are listed in Table 2 Survey results indi-

cate that the average age for managers is 4977 years

Analysis of average hourly wages paid by facilities for

leads supervisors managers and directors was not performed

due to the small sample size (lt30) of each level Regardless

of level academic hospitals with 300 to 499 beds and over

500 beds show the highest hourly pay rate at $2963 and

$2943 respectively HTLs earn an average hourly rate of

$2817 at referenceindependent laboratories $2817 at pri-

vate industries and $2705 at pathologistclinical scientist lab-

oratories The average age for all HTL respondents is 4518

years which is older than the national average (Figure 8)

By department most HTL respondents are found in an-

atomic pathology and histology They are paid average

hourly wages of $2941 and $2774 respectively The high-

est paying state for all HTL levels is California and the low-

est paying state is Michigan Table 6 Overall HTLs have

an average of 1543 years of total experience in the labora-

tory field and have been working in their current occupa-

tional title for an average of 913 years (Figures 9 and 10)

The overall sample sizes (lt30) for the occupational levels

were too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay rates

by all facilities and states surveyed For the same reason anal-

ysis of the average age by state for HTLs was not performed

Laboratory Assistants

On average LA staff members make a mean (SD)

hourly wage of $1645 ($378 Figure 7) Outpatient clinic

laboratories pay the most for staff LAs at $1750 per hour

Academic hospitals with 100 to 299 beds pay the highest at

$3385

$2855

$2655

$2623

$2579

$2545

$2538

$2537

$2503

$2492

$2482

$0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35

Nonacademic hospital gt500 beds

Physic laboratory

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

al PathologistClinic scientist laboratory

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Clinic-based histology laboratory

Hospital 300-499 beds

Hospital 100-299 beds

Private industry

Average Hourly Wage for All HT Respondents

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 11 Average hourly wage of all histotechnician (HT) respondents by facility

Table 5Average Annual Salaries for Histotechnicians by State From

Highest to Lowest Payinga

Histotechnician Hourly Wage

California $3081

Arizona $2679

Georgia $2675

Texas $2643

Pennsylvania $2512

Illinois $2481

Tennessee $2462

Florida $2443

Minnesota $2438

Wisconsin $2418

Michigan $2347

North Carolina $2339

Ohio $2301

New York $2247

aSample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 343DOI 101093ajcpaqw220343Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

$1641 per hour and academic hospitals with 300 to 499

beds pay the lowest at $1575 per hour Results of the wage

difference between the other laboratory facilities for staff

LAs do not allow for statistically significant comparisons

Results indicate they have an average age of 4096 years

LA leads earn a mean (SD) hourly rate of $1782 ($381

Figure 7) The average annual wages of LAs by job level are

listed in Table 2 On average leads are 4144 years old

Overall all LA respondents are paid the highest in out-

patient clinic laboratories at $1789 per hour and the least in

academic hospitals with 100 to 299 beds at $1690 and aca-

demic hospitals with 300 to 499 beds at $1661 The average

age for all LA respondents is 4107 years which is younger

than the national average (Figure 8)

LA respondents are mostly found in the following de-

partments with the corresponding average hourly pay all

multiple departments $1759 phlebotomy $1668 and

specimen processing $1637 Results show that LAs have

an average of 1126 years of total experience working in the

field and have worked in their current position for an aver-

age of 754 years (Figures 9 and 10)

Results of the wage difference between laboratory fa-

cilities and states for LA leads managers and supervisors

do not allow for statistically significant comparisons For

the same reason analysis of the average age by state for

LAs was not performed

Medical Laboratory TechniciansClinical Laboratory

Technicians

The national mean (SD) hourly wage for staff-level

MLTsCLTs is $2089 ($454 Figure 7) Pay rates for staff

are highest in government facilities at $2185 per hour and

lowest at academic hospitals with less than 100 beds at

$1989 per hour Figure 12 The average age of staff MLTs

CLTs is 4012 years By state Indiana has the oldest staff at

4381 years with the youngest in Alabama at 3675 years

Figure 13 The overall sample size (lt30) for this occupa-

tional level was too small for meaningful statistical analysis

of pay rates by all facilities surveyed

Lead MLTsCLTs are paid a mean (SD) hourly wage of

$2355 ($531 Figure 7) Results indicate they have an aver-

age age of 4339 years The mean (SD) hourly wage for

MLTCLT supervisors is $2533 ($650 Figure 7) The av-

erage age for this group is 4523 years MLTCLT managers

earn a mean (SD) hourly wage of $3175 ($647 Figure 7)

The average annual wages of MLTsCLT by job level are

listed in Table 2 The age of managers averages 4800 years

Community-based facilities show the highest hourly pay

rate at $2239 and academic hospitals with fewer than 100

beds show the lowest at $2030 for all MLTCLTs Figure 14

$2185

$2119

$2118

$2117

$2115

$2114

$2102

$2084

$2076

$2074

$2035

$1990

$1989

$1850 $1900 $1950 $2000 $2050 $2100 $2150 $2200

Government

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Private industry

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Physicianrsquos office laboratory

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Retail laboratorymdashdirect to consumer

Nonacademic hospital gt500 beds

Public health laboratory

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Average Hourly Wage for Staff MLTCLT

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 12 Average hourly wage of staff medical laboratory techniciansclinical laboratory technicians (MLTsCLTs) by facility

Table 6Average Annual Salaries for Histotechnologists by State From

Highest to Lowest Payinga

Histotechnologist Hourly Wage

California $3570

New York $3208

Florida $2833

Pennsylvania $2695

Texas $2615

North Carolina $2610

Illinois $2527

Michigan $2282

aSample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

344 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology344 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

438

1

430

0

428

8

425

1

424

9

424

7

415

5

408

4

404

1

403

5

397

4

395

7

394

9

391

9

391

3

387

8

386

4

384

6

383

5

383

2

378

8

375

6

367

5

32

34

36

38

40

42

44

46A

ve

rag

e A

ge

(y)

States

Figure 13 Average ages for staff medical laboratory techniciansclinical laboratory technicians (MLTsCLSs) by state Sample

size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons

$2239

$2186

$2178

$2155

$2151

$2150

$2133

$2130

$2114

$2112

$2099

$2049

$2030

$1900 $1950 $2000 $2050 $2100 $2150 $2200 $2250

Community-based

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Nonacademic hospital gt500 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Outpatient clinic laboratory

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Nonp t

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Private industry

Physicianrsquos y

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Average Hourly Wage for all MLTCLT Respondents

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 14 Average hourly wage of all medical laboratory technicianclinical laboratory technician (MLTCLT) respondents by facility

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 345DOI 101093ajcpaqw220345Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

The average age for all MLTCLT respondents is 4101 years

younger than the national average (Figure 8)

According to survey results the blood bank department

paid MLTsCLTs the highest at an average of $2328 per hour

and allmultiple departments the lowest at $2064 per hour

Figure 15 Geographically MLTsCLTs regardless of posi-

tion level are paid significantly higher wages in California

and lowest in Alabama Table 7 Overall MLTsCLTs have

an average of 1214 years of total experience in the laboratory

field and have been working in their current title for 887

years (Figures 9 and 10)

Analysis of average hourly wages paid by facilities de-

partment and states for leads supervisors managers and

directors was not performed due to the small sample size

(lt30) of each level For the same reason average age by

state was not analyzed

Medical Laboratory ScientistsMedical Technologists

Clinical Laboratory Scientists

Staff-level MLSsMTsCLSs are paid a mean (SD)

hourly rate of $2790 ($678 Figure 7) Pay rates for staff

are highest at government facilities at $2990 per hour

and lowest at physiciansrsquo office laboratories (POLs) at

$2502 per hour Figure 16 The mean age for staff MLSs

MTsCLSs is 4196 years Geographically MLTsCLTs

are the oldest in New Hampshire and the youngest in South

Dakota Figure 17

$2328 $2308

$2260

$2149 $2133 $2129 $2119

$2064

$1900

$1950

$2000

$2050

$2100

$2150

$2200

$2250

$2300

$2350

Ave

rag

e H

ou

rly W

ag

e (

$)

Departments

Figure 15 Average hourly wage of all (staff lead manager supervisor director) medical laboratory technicianclinical labora-

tory technician (MLTCLT) respondents by department

Table 7Average Annual Salaries for Medical Laboratory Technicians

Clinical Laboratory Technicians by State From Highest to

Lowest Payinga

Medical Laboratory Technician

Clinical Laboratory Technician Hourly Wage

California $2927

Massachusetts $2526

Washington $2460

New York $2449

Maryland $2428

Arizona $2367

Colorado $2305

Minnesota $2265

Pennsylvania $2239

Nebraska $2193

Virginia $2188

Wisconsin $2156

Indiana $2120

Illinois $2120

Ohio $2101

Georgia $2076

Iowa $2074

Texas $2060

Michigan $2055

Kentucky $2041

Tennessee $2020

Missouri $2014

Kansas $1996

North Carolina $1857

Mississippi $1808

South Carolina $1787

Alabama $1775

aSample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

346 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology346 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

MLSMTCLS leads make a mean (SD) hourly wage of

$3154 ($735 Figure 7) Academic hospitals with 300 to

499 beds pay a significantly high hourly rate for lead MLSs

MTsCLSs compared with all facilities surveyed at $3335

The facility providing the lowest pay is the POL at $2771 per

hour Figure 18 They have an average age of 4597 years

MLSMTCLS supervisors earn a mean (SD) hourly

rate of $3343 ($900 Figure 7) Results indicate that refer-

enceindependent laboratories pay the highest hourly wage

at $3622 whereas POLs pay $2871 per hour Figure 19

This group has an average age of 4834 years

The mean (SD) hourly wage for MLSMTCLS managers

is $3313 ($952 Figure 7) Pay rates for managers are highest

at referenceindependent laboratories at $4463 per hour fol-

lowed by academic hospitals with over 500 beds at $4242

nonacademic hospitals with 300 to 499 beds at $4130 nonac-

ademic hospitals with 100 to 299 beds at $4041 POLs at

$3653 and academic hospitals with fewer than 100 beds

at $3125 per hour Results indicate that managers have an

average age of 5017 years

MLSMTCLS directors earn a mean (SD) hourly wage

of $3799 ($1519 Figure 7) The average annual wages of

MLSsMTsCLSs by job level are listed in Table 2

Directors have an average age of 5186 years

MLSMTCLS respondents regardless of level are

paid the lowest in blood centers at $2623 per hour and

highest in government facilities at $3279 per hour

Figure 20 The average age for all MLSMTCLS re-

spondents is 4436 years which is older than the national

average (Figure 8)

Survey results indicate that the LIS-QA-PI department

pays the highest at $3516 and the generalists department

pays the lowest at $2791 on average per hour Figure 21

The top 10 highest-paying states for all MLSMTCLS

levels are California Nevada Oregon Massachusetts

Connecticut Washington New York Arizona Minnesota

and Colorado Table 8 According to survey results MLSs

MTsCLSs have an average of 1596 years of total experience

in the laboratory field and have been working in their current

occupational title for 1038 years (Figures 9 and 10)

$2990

$2870

$2861

$2848

$2834

$2821

$2816

$2807

$2790

$2784

$2779

$2776

$2752

$2697

$2656

$2635

$2579

$2502

$22 $23 $24 $25 $26 $27 $28 $29 $30

Government

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Private industry

Reference

PathologistClinical scientist laboratory

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Outpatient clinic laboratory

Military VA VHA

Nonp t

Community-based

Nonacademic hospital gt500 beds

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Blood center

Physicianrsquos

Average Hourly Wage for Staff MLSMTCLS

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 16 Average hourly wage of staff medical laboratory scientistsmedical technologistsclinical laboratory scientists

(MLSsMTsCLSs) by facility VA Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Veterans Health Administration

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 347DOI 101093ajcpaqw220347Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

The overall sample size (lt30) for all occupational lev-

els was too small for meaningful statistical analysis of pay

rates by all facilities and departments surveyed For the

same reason average age by state for leads supervisors and

directors was not analyzed

Molecular Biologists

The mean (SD) hourly wage for staff-level MBs is

$2745 ($828 Figure 7) According to survey results staff

MBs have an average age of 3841 years

Lead-level MBs are paid a mean (SD) hourly rate of $3465

($844 Figure 7) This group has an average age of 4341 years

MB supervisors earn a mean (SD) hourly rate of $3866 ($1233

Figure 7) The average annual wages of MBs by job level are

listed in Table 2 Results indicate that supervisors have an aver-

age age of 4216 years and managers of 3896 years

Most of the MB respondents are found in the molecular

pathology (pathgen) department and are paid an average

hourly wage of $2963 The average age for all MB respon-

dents is 4004 years which is younger than the national av-

erage (Figure 8) According to survey results MBs have

849 total years of experience working in the laboratory

field and an average of 556 years working in their current

occupational title the least number of years of experience

and working in their current title among all the groups sur-

veyed (Figures 9 and 10)

Results regarding the wage differences between

laboratory facilities and states for MBs do not allow for

480

5

467

9

463

9

455

2

454

7

454

0

452

3

450

6

449

8

447

6

443

6

438

9

436

3

436

1

435

0

434

2

431

0

426

8

425

6

424

3

422

8

422

0

420

8

418

8

418

4

417

2

415

7

411

7

408

8

407

0

402

1

401

3

401

2

397

2

396

2

390

6

387

2

377

1

371

2

369

7

360

0

359

3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50A

ve

rag

e A

ge

(y)

States

Figure 17 Average ages for staff medical laboratory scientistsmedical technologistsclinical laboratory scientists (MLSsMTs

CLSs) by state Sample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statistically significant comparisons

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

348 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology348 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

statistically significant comparisons because respondents

in the survey had a small sample size For the same

reason average ages by state of each level were not

analyzed

Pathologistsrsquo Assistants

The mean (SD) national hourly wage for staff-level

PAs is $4330 ($1291 Figure 7) The mean age for staff

PAs is 3783 years

$3335

$3314

$3301

$3282

$3229

$3205

$3197

$3197

$3130

$3035

$3018

$2937

$2914

$2771

$0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Military VA VHA

No t

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Outpatient clinic laboratory

Nonacademic hospital gt500 beds

Community-based

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Physicianrsquos y

Average Hourly Wage for Lead MLSMTCLS

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 18 Average hourly wage of lead medical laboratory scientistsmedical technologistsclinical laboratory scientists

(MLSsMTsCLSs) by facility VA Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Veterans Health Administration

$3622

$3563

$3558

$3473

$3456

$3354

$3152

$2871

$0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35 $40

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Physicianrsquos

Average Hourly Wage for Supervisor MLSMTCLS

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 19 Average hourly wage of supervisor medical laboratory scientistsmedical technologistsclinical laboratory scientists

(MLSsMTsCLSs) by facility

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 349DOI 101093ajcpaqw220349Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

Lead PAs are paid a mean (SD) hourly wage of $4781

($827 Figure 7) with a mean age of 4226 years The

mean (SD) hourly wage for PA supervisors is $5158

($1088 Figure 7) The average annual wages of PAs by

job level are listed in Table 2 Results indicate that supervi-

sors have an average age of 4107 years and managers of

4706 years

PA respondents were mostly found in the anatomic pa-

thology departments which pays them an average salary of

$4312 per hour According to survey results PAs are the

youngest laboratory professionals with an average age of

3947 years which is younger than the national average

(Figure 8) Overall PAs have an average of 1058 total years

of experience in the laboratory field and 794 years in their

current title (Figures 9 and 10)

We did not perform analysis of wage data by facility

and state for PAs because the results would provide statisti-

cally insignificant values due to the small sample size For

the same reason average ages by state of each level were

not analyzed

Performance Improvement or Quality Assurance

The mean (SD) hourly wage for PI or QA staff is

$3837 ($913 Figure 7) The average age of staff PI or QA

is 4902 years Manager-level PI or QA staff are paid a

mean (SD) hourly rate of $4225 ($1042 Figure 7) The av-

erage annual wages of PI or QA staff by job level are listed

in Table 2 The mean age for managers is 4674 years

The department where most PI or QA personnel were

found is the LIS-QA-PI This department pays an average

hourly wage of $3378 Results indicate that leads have an

average age of 4593 years supervisors 4877 years and di-

rectors 5670 years The average age for all PI or QA re-

spondents is 4864 years which is older than the national

average (Figure 8) According to survey results PI or QA

staff have an average of 1291 years of total experience in

the laboratory field and 692 years working in their current

occupational title (Figures 9 and 10)

Analysis of overall mean hourly wage for leads supervi-

sors and directors as well as average hourly wages paid by

facilities and states for PI or QA staff was not performed due

$3279

$3064

$3002

$2998

$2981

$2929

$2922

$2918

$2908

$2906

$2904

$2878

$2855

$2804

$2801

$2785

$2783

$2775

$2769

$2640

$2623

$0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35

Government

Military VA VHA

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Reference

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Nonp t

Community-based

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Public health laboratory

Outpatient clinic laboratory

Retail laboratorymdashdirect to consumer

Nonacademic hospital gt500 beds

Private industry

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

PathologistClinical scientist laboratory

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Physicianrsquos

Blood center

Average Hourly Wage for All MLSMTCLS Respondents

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 20 Average hourly wage of all medical laboratory scientistmedical technologistclinical laboratory scientist (MLSMT

CLS) respondents by facility VA Department of Veterans Affairs VHA Veterans Health Administration

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

350 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology350 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

to the small sample size (lt30) of each level For the same rea-

son average ages by state of each level were not analyzed

Phlebotomists

Staff PBTs are paid a mean (SD) hourly wage of $1497

($342 Figure 7) Results indicate that academic hospitals

with over 500 beds pay the highest hourly wage at $1584

and that hospitals with fewer than 100 beds pay the lowest

hourly wage at $1375 Figure 22 The overall sample size

(lt30) for this occupational level was too small for meaning-

ful statistical analysis of pay rates by all institutions sur-

veyed The data indicate that the average age for staff PBTs

is 4179 years

Lead PBTs are paid a mean (SD) hourly wage of $1696

($344 Figure 7) with a mean age of 4322 years PBT man-

agers earn a mean (SD) hourly wage of $2108 ($701 Figure

7) The average annual wages of PBTs by job level are listed

in Table 2 This group has an average age of 4428 years

Analysis of average hourly wages paid by facilities for

leads supervisors managers and directors was not per-

formed due to the small sample size (lt30) of each level

But overall academic hospitals with over 500 beds pay the

highest hourly wage at $1635 and academic hospitals with

less than 100 beds at $1413 for PBTs Figure 23

Geographically PBTs regardless of position level are paid

a significantly higher wage in Washington State and lowest

in Michigan Table 9

Most PBT respondents are found in the phlebotomy and

allmultiple departments They are paid an average hourly

wage of $1546 and $1527 respectively The average age

for all PBT respondents is 4212 years which is younger

than the national average (Figure 8) Overall PBTs have an

average of 1160 years of total experience in the laboratory

field and 824 years working in their current title (Figures 9

and 10)

Analysis of the average age for PBT managers and directors

was not performed due to the small sample size For the same

reason analysis of average age by state was not performed

Specialists in Blood Banking

Staff-level SBBs are paid a mean (SD) hourly rate of $2851

($946 Figure 7) This group has an average age of 4558 years

SBB leads make a mean (SD) hourly wage of $3105

($610 Figure 7) Data indicate that the average age for lead

SBBs is 4242 years SBB supervisors earn a mean (SD)

hourly rate of $3443 ($637 Figure 7) with a mean age of 4924

years The mean (SD) hourly wage for SBB managers is $4505

($996 Figure 7) The average annual wages of SBBs by job

level are listed in Table 2 Results indicate that the average age

for managers is 4979 years while directors are at 5171 years

Most SBB respondents are found in the blood bank de-

partment which pays them an average hourly wage of

$3137 The average age for all SBB respondents is 4767

years which is older than the national average (Figure 8)

$3516

$3211 $3106 $3099 $3031 $3002 $3001 $2981 $2908 $2845 $2834 $2791

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40A

ve

rag

e H

ou

rly W

ag

e (

$)

Figure 21 Average hourly wage of all medical laboratory scientistmedical technologistclinical laboratory scientist (MLSMT

CLS) respondents by department

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 351DOI 101093ajcpaqw220351Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

Results show that SBBs have an average of 1700 years of

total experience working in the field and have been working

in their current title for 872 years (Figures 9 and 10)

Analysis of wage data by facility and state as well as

average age by state for SBBs was not performed because

the results would provide statistically insignificant values

For the same reason average ages by state of each level

were not analyzed

Administration

The mean (SD) hourly wage for administration man-

agers is $4315 ($1101 Figure 7) The average age of man-

agers is 5157 years Administration directors earn a mean

(SD) hourly wage of $5910 ($2122 Figure 7) The average

annual wages of administrative personnel by job level are

listed in Table 2 Data indicate that the average age for di-

rectors is 5504 years

Administrative personnel are the oldest group of labora-

tory professionals with an overall average age of 5362

years which is older than the national average (Figure 8)

Overall administrative personnel have an average of 1606

total years of experience in the laboratory field and 952

years in their current occupational title (Figures 9 and 10)

Analysis of wage data by facility department and state

for administrative personnel was not performed because the

results would provide statistically insignificant values For

the same reasons analysis of the average age for staff leads

and supervisors and average age by state was not performed

Laboratory Information Systems

Staff-level LIS personnel are paid a mean (SD) hourly

wage of $3361 ($704 Figure 7) The mean age for LIS

staff is 4820 years

Leads have an average age of 5167 years supervisors

5263 years and managers 5067 years The average age for

all LIS respondents is 4973 years which is older than the

national average (Figure 8) According to survey results

LIS personnel have an average of 1470 years of total expe-

rience in the laboratory field and have been working in their

current title for 859 years (Figures 9 and 10)

Analysis of wage data by facility department and state

for administrative personnel was not performed because the

results would provide statistically insignificant values For

the same reasons analysis of the average age for staff leads

and supervisors and average age by state was performed

Summary

Compared with the 2013 ASCP wage survey salaries are

up for all staff-level laboratory professionals except PBTs and

PAs who have a ndash40 and ndash650 change in annual hourly

wage respectively Table 10 The annual hourly wages for

leads were also up in 2015 except for CTs (ndash130) and

SBBs (ndash331) Table 11 Supervisorsrsquo annual hourly wages

however are down except for MLTsCLTs PAs and MLSs

MTsCLSs at 1210 583 and 187 respectively

Table 12 Manager- and director-level comparisons were not

conducted due to small sample size LAs and PBTs regardless

of level continue to have lower salaries while PAs and

administration personnel have higher salaries than the rest of

the laboratory professions surveyed

Table 8Average Annual Salaries for Medical Laboratory Scientists

Medical TechnologistsClinical Laboratory Scientists by State

From Highest to Lowest Payinga

Medical Laboratory ScientistMedical

TechnologistClinical Laboratory Scientist Hourly Wage

California $4620

Nevada $3494

Oregon $3324

Massachusetts $3262

Connecticut $3253

Washington $3190

New York $3087

Arizona $3082

Minnesota $3060

Colorado $3054

New Jersey $3020

New Hampshire $2999

Maryland $2933

Georgia $2881

Idaho $2814

Montana $2795

Kansas $2753

New Mexico $2737

Missouri $2735

South Carolina $2729

Pennsylvania $2728

Wisconsin $2725

Florida $2710

Kentucky $2697

Virginia $2697

Indiana $2694

Ohio $2687

Illinois $2683

Texas $2682

Nebraska $2679

Michigan $2615

Maine $2605

Tennessee $2597

Oklahoma $2589

Louisiana $2585

Iowa $2579

West Virginia $2568

North Carolina $2499

Utah $2487

Mississippi $2461

North Dakota $2458

Alabama $2457

Arkansas $2444

South Dakota $2441

Puerto Rico $1526

aSample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

352 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology352 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

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 pro-

fessionals working as they accumulate more years of

experience in the field Table 13 For example the average

hourly wage for HTs for the first 5 years is $2277 It was

found that HTs received a pay raise after 6 to 10 years of

work experience earning an average of $2525 per hour

However it appears that there is a wage cap around $2800

per hour for HTs with more than 16 years of experience

$1635

$1607

$1575

$1565

$1506

$1498

$1488

$1483

$1413

$1250 $1300 $1350 $1400 $1450 $1500 $1550 $1600 $1650

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Outpatient clinic laboratory

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Nonacademic hospital 300-499 beds

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Physicianrsquos y

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Overall Hourly Wage for PBT

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 23 Average hourly wage of all (staff lead manager supervisor director) phlebotomist (PBT) respondents by facility

$1584

$1557

$1548

$1476

$1468

$1466

$1465

$1450

$1426

$1375

$1250 $1300 $1350 $1400 $1450 $1500 $1550 $1600

Academic hospital gt500 beds

Reference laboratoryIndependent laboratory

Outpatient clinic laboratory

Nonp t

Nonacademic hospital lt100 beds

Physicianrsquos y

Nonacademic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital 100-299 beds

Academic hospital 300-499 beds

Academic hospital lt100 beds

Average Hourly Wage for Staff PBT

Fa

cilit

ies

Figure 22 Average hourly wage of staff phlebotomists (PBTs) by facility

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 353DOI 101093ajcpaqw220353Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

For MLTsCLTs the average hourly wage is $1889 for the

first 5 years of experience While MLTsCLTs tended to re-

ceive an increased hourly wage for every 5 years of work

experience those working for 36 to 40 years only earn

$718 per hour more than those with 0 to 5 years of experi-

ence On average PBTs earn $1361 per hour for 0 to 5

years of experience with an average of approximately

$100 for every 5 years of experience The survey has also

revealed a potential wage cap around $1800 per hour for

PBTs with more than 20 years of experience

This year we also looked at the average wage of labo-

ratory professionals based on age and found that salaries

continue to increase considerably for every age range except

LAs and PBTs Table 14 MLSsMTsCLSs aged 55 years

and older experience a wage cap at $3282

In addition to analyzing wages this survey also asked

questions to gain an in-depth perspective on the laboratory

workforce The US Department of Laborrsquos Bureau of Labor

Statistics reported that the job outlook for medical and

clinical laboratory technologists and technicians between

2014 and 2024 is expected to grow 16 which is faster

than the average rate1 Figure 8 suggests strategic focus on

recruitment and supports the results of the ASCP 2014

Vacancy Survey (httpajcpascpjournalsorgcontent

1443432fullpdf) on filling the upcoming vacancies

Results show that laboratory professionals are aging and

therefore the field needs to fill the vacancies with

qualified laboratory professionals There is also a need for

recruiting younger laboratory professionals because ac-

cording to the survey results the youngest group are the

PAs with an average age of 3947 years Recruitment

Table 9Average Annual Salaries for Phlebotomists by State From

Highest to Lowest Payinga

Phlebotomist Hourly Wage

Washington $1839

Massachusetts $1819

Minnesota $1807

Oregon $1778

Maryland $1720

New York $1639

Virginia $1628

Wisconsin $1610

Montana $1607

Pennsylvania $1586

Illinois $1570

Colorado $1523

Texas $1505

North Carolina $1449

South Carolina $1444

Florida $1428

Indiana $1406

Ohio $1404

Georgia $1377

Missouri $1361

Tennessee $1332

Michigan $1325

aSample size was less than 30 for the rest of the states and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons

Table 10Percent Change in Overall Annual Hourly Wage for Staff

Between 2013 and 2015a

Staff 2015 2013 Change

CG $3110 $2863 86

CT $3239 $3145 30

MLSMTCLS $2790 $2713 28

LA $1645 $1603 26

MLTCLT $2089 $2049 20

HT $2441 $2396 19

MB $2745 $2696 18

SBB $2851 $2807 15

HTL $2682 $2663 07

PBT $1497 $1560 40

PA $4330 $4632 65

PI or QA $3837 NA NA

LIS $3361 NA NA

aFor definitions of abbreviations see Table 1 NA not applicable

Table 11Percent Change in Overall Annual Hourly Wage for Leads

Between 2013 and 2015a

Lead 2015 2013 Change

CG $3551 $3222 1022

HTL $3051 $2876 607

MLTCLT $2355 $2238 522

HT $2801 $2681 448

MLSMTCLS $3154 $3081 236

PBT $1696 $1671 149

CT $3474 $3520 130

SBB $3105 $3211 331

LA $1782 NA NA

MB $3465 NA NA

PA $4781 NA NA

aFor definitions of abbreviations see Table 1 NA not applicable

Table 12Percent Change in Overall Annual Hourly Wage for

Supervisors Between 2013 and 2015a

Supervisor 2015 2013 Change

MLTCLT $2533 $2260 1210

PA $5158 $4874 583

MLSMTCLS $3343 $3282 187

SBB $3443 $3444 ndash004

CT $3695 $3709 ndash038

HTL $3191 $3241 ndash155

HT $3073 $3129 ndash180

CG $3863 $3995 ndash332

MB $3866 NA NA

PBT $2108 NA NA

aFor definitions of abbreviations see Table 1 NA not applicable

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

354 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology354 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

should focus on the following occupational titles CT

HTL MLSMTCLS PI or QA SBB administration and

LIS as their average ages are higher compared with the

national average (Figure 8)

In addition to recruitment retention warrants the same

focus According to Rex Famitangco2 chair of the ASCP

Council of Laboratory Professionals (CLP) ldquoStriving to re-

tain quality staff is a vital part of maintaining a laboratoryrsquos

Table 13Total Years of Experience at Current Occupational Title by Average Hourly Wagea

Time in Current Title y CG CT HT HTL LA MLTCLT MLSMTCLS MB PA PBT

0-5 $2620 $2833 $2277 $2469 $1516 $1889 $2527 $2621 $4300 $1361

6-10 $3007 $3093 $2525 $2772 $1700 $2089 $2798 $2991 $4489 $1469

11-15 $3304 $3215 $2657 $2952 $1745 $2209 $2979 NA $4693 $1662

16-20 $3593 $3579 $2871 NA NA $2366 $3050 NA NA $1725

21-25 $3718 $3681 $2883 NA NA $2412 $3155 NA NA $1827

26-30 $3835 $3834 $2825 $3279 NA $2512 $3257 NA NA $1810

31-35 NA $3580 NA NA NA $2588 $3308 NA NA NA

36-40 NA $3585 NA NA NA $2607 $3316 NA NA NA

41thorn NA NA NA NA NA $3281 $3281 NA NA NA

aFor definitions of abbreviations see Table 1 NA not applicable Sample sizes to determine average wage of other time ranges were less than 30 and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons In addition PI or QA staff were not included due to its small sample size

Table 14Age by Average Hourly Wagea

Age y CG CT HT HTL LA MLTCLT MLSMTCLS MB PBT

18-24 NA NA NA NA NA $1760 $2270 NA $1316

25-34 $2823 $2881 $2330 $2446 $1677 $1945 $2545 $2591 $1439

35-44 $3203 $3236 $2575 $2867 $1700 $2085 $2861 $3033 $1508

45-54 $3631 $3449 $2720 $2890 $1704 $2296 $3120 NA $1609

55-64 NA $3703 $2751 $3206 $1794 $2465 $3282 NA $1737

65-74 NA NA NA NA NA NA $3282 NA NA

75thorn NA NA NA NA NA NA $3282 NA NA

aFor definitions of abbreviations see Table 1 NA not applicable Sample sizes to determine average wage of other time ranges were less than 30 and did not allow for statisti-

cally significant comparisons In addition PAs were not included due to its small sample size

Table 15Percent of Responses per BenefitPerk Offered by Institution

Perks Offered by Institution Total of Responses per Category

Medicalvision benefits 8818

Dental benefits 8469

Pensionretirement benefits 6704

Free or convenient employee parking 6688

Premium pay for overtime holidays and weekends 5947

Paying for continuing education 3957

Paying for tuition 3885

Flexible work hours 2497

Miscellaneous bonuses (eg tied to work company performance etc) 2485

Bonuses not directly tied to work (including holidays and profit-sharing bonuses) 2299

On-call pay 1961

Paying for certifications or qualifications 1720

Monetary bonus (eg sign-on bonus referral bonus miscellaneous bonuses) 1684

Transportation allowances 1174

Paying for professional memberships 1035

Daycare 780

Uniform allowances 700

Laptop or tablet 682

Providing a company phone for you 546

Free or subsidized room and board 086

AJCP ORIGINAL ARTICLE

copy American Society for Clinical Pathology Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 355DOI 101093ajcpaqw220355Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018

functionalityrdquo Employee development such as training

continuing education and mentoring can prove beneficial in

retaining staff2 Survey respondents were asked about the

benefits and perks they receive from their institution

and medicaldentalvision pensionretirement overtime

holidayweekends and employee parking were the top

fringe benefits they receive Paying for continuing educa-

tion certifications professional memberships and day care

were among the benefits that are not provided to many labo-

ratory professionals Table 15

Last this survey asked the respondents to provide com-

ments after the completion of the survey We received a total

of 2230 comments and found that 2762 addressed being un-

derpaidunderappreciated 2166 of them addressed the need

for increased wages andraises 1493 provided suggestions

for future surveys 3018 expressed appreciation for the

opportunity this survey provides in giving the laboratory pro-

fessionals a platform to encourage advocacy and 561 were

categorized as ldquoOtherrdquo Institutions are encouraged to take into

consideration laboratory professionalsrsquo compensation and base

their pay on level of education training years of experience

and cost of living as well as making their pay comparable to

other allied health professionals with higher salaries

Corresponding author Edna Garcia MPH 1225 New York Ave

NW Ste 350 Washington DC 20009 ednagarciaascporg

Contributors Carter Ainsworth ASCP Institute of Science

Technology amp Policy Washington DC Andrea Bennett MPH

MT (ASCP) ASCP Institute of Science Technology amp Policy

Washington DC Matthew Schulze ASCP Institute of Science

Technology amp Policy Washington DC Patricia Tanabe MPA

MLS (ASCP)CM ASCP Board of Certification Chicago IL and

Elizabeth Waibel MPH ASCP Institute of Science Technology amp

Policy Washington DC

Reviewers Mark Bailey MA HTL (ASCP)CM The University

of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston Alexandra

Brown MD FASCP ASCP Institute of Science Technology and

Policy Washington DC Lynnette G Chakkaphak MS MT

(ASCP) St Vincentrsquos HealthCare Jacksonville FL Vicki S

Freeman PhD MASCP MLS (ASCP)CM SCCM FACB The

University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston Jack A Hager

MT (ASCP) SBB Oregon Health and Science University

Portland Rex F Famitangco MS MLS (ASCP)CM QLC MT

(AMT) CLC AHI Western Nebraska Community College

Scottsbluff Carlo Joseph Ledesma MT (ASCP) Rose State

College Midwest City OK and Babatunde Oloyede PhD MLS

(ASCP) Federal Medical Center Durham NC

References

1 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbookhttpwwwblsgovoohhealthcaremedical-and-clinical-laboratory-technologists-and-technicianshtm Accessed July 182016

2 Famitangco R Investing in employees investing in the futureCrit Values 2016910-12

Garcia and Fisher ASCPrsquoS 2015 WAGE SURVEY OF MEDICAL LABORATORIES

356 Am J Clin Pathol 2017147334-356 copy American Society for Clinical Pathology356 DOI 101093ajcpaqw220Downloaded from httpsacademicoupcomajcparticle-abstract14743343053484

by East Carolina University useron 25 June 2018