Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist

Types of Degrees Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many cytotechnology/cytotechnologist graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Graduate Certificate	38
Master’s Degree	28
Bachelor’s Degree	24
Basic Certificate	15
Associate Degree	12
Undergraduate Certificate	6

What Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to cytotechnology/cytotechnologist and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in cytotechnology/cytotechnologist should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors

A major in cytotechnology/cytotechnologist prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Majors

A major in cytotechnology/cytotechnologist will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Major?

People with a cytotechnology/cytotechnologist 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
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists	11.6%	NA

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist?

The major attracts more women than men. About 75% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of cytotechnology/cytotechnologist majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	4
Hispanic or Latino	3
White	13
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	0

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist, too. About 4.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist

Some degrees associated with cytotechnology/cytotechnologist may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to cytotechnology/cytotechnologist have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.1%
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)	0.5%
Some College Courses	0.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	12.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	50.6%
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.	19.3%
Master’s Degree	9.2%
Doctoral Degree	4.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.1%

Online Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist Programs

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)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	1
Bachelor’s Degree	3	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	6	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Cytotechnology/Cytotechnologist

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to cytotechnology/cytotechnologist.

Major	Number of Grads
Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist	8,480
Laboratory Sciences & Medical Technology	4,067
Laboratory Technician	3,225
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician	1,333
Other Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions	858
Blood Bank Technology Specialist	265
Histologic Technician	253
Histologic Technology/Histotechnologist	132
Renal/Dialysis Technologist/Technician	122
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technology/Technician	71
Hematology Technology	45
Cytogenetics/Genetics/Clinical Genetics Technology/Technologist	43

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.