Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
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Types of Degrees Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many clinical/medical laboratory science graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Basic Certificate | 9,031 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4,027 |
| Associate Degree | 3,527 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 1,362 |
| Master’s Degree | 489 |
| Graduate Certificate | 453 |
| Doctor’s Degree | 12 |
What Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to clinical laboratory science were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Clinical Laboratory Science Majors
Clinical Laboratory Science majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Skills for Clinical Laboratory Science Majors
When studying clinical laboratory science, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Abilities for Clinical Laboratory Science Majors
Clinical Laboratory Science majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
What Can You Do With a Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Major?
People with a clinical laboratory science degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Cytogenetic Technologists | 11.6% | NA |
| Cytotechnologists | 11.6% | NA |
| Health Specialties Professors | 25.9% | $97,370 |
| Health Technologists and Technicians | 19.6% | $42,920 |
| Histotechnologists and Histologic Technicians | 11.6% | NA |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians | 14.0% | NA |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | 11.6% | NA |
| Medical Equipment Preparers | 11.1% | $36,240 |
| Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians | 11.7% | $31,830 |
| Ophthalmic Medical Technologists | 19.6% | $42,920 |
| Phlebotomists | 24.5% | $34,480 |
| Surgical Technologists | 11.7% | $47,300 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of clinical laboratory science majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 491 |
| Black or African American | 396 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 481 |
| White | 2,183 |
| International Students | 179 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 297 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Clinical Laboratory Science. About 4.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- Saudi Arabia
- Nepal
- China
- South Korea
- Nigeria
How Much Do Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that clinical/medical laboratory science students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $56,638 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $53,058 (25th percentile) and $60,759 (75th percentile).
One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to clinical laboratory science.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $35,560 to $49,040 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to clinical laboratory science. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
Some careers associated with clinical laboratory science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for clinical laboratory science careers below.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 0.5% |
| High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 13.6% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 14.4% |
| Some College Courses | 5.8% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 19.5% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 28.4% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 9.5% |
| Master’s Degree | 4.5% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.3% |
| First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 1.1% |
| Doctoral Degree | 1.5% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 1.4% |
Online Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Programs
In 2020-2021, 964 schools offered a clinical laboratory science program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
| Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 138 | 4 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 6 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 328 | 18 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 46 | 4 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 65 | 8 |
| Post-Master’s | 5 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 6 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science Worth It?
The median salary for a clinical laboratory science grad is $37,990 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
Top Ranking Lists for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
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Majors Related to Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to clinical laboratory science.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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