Associate degree programs for medical laboratory technicians generally take two years to complete.
Several online medical lab technician degrees are available from reputable colleges and universities, driven in part by the demand for people in this field as the industry expands. While many aspiring MLTs decide to enroll in traditional, on-campus programs, a growing number are pursuing their degree online. With a two-year associate’s degree required for most positions, this is a high-growth and lucrative field with a wealth of openings in the coming years. By comparison, this predicted growth rate is nearly double the average across all occupations during that same decade (4 percent).įurthermore, the 337,800 skilled professionals in this field earn median annual salaries of $54,180, which keeps pace with the national average for all occupations at $56,310 ( BLS May 2020). At this rate, 24,700 fresh openings will open in this field nationally. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that positions for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, a similar job title to medical laboratory technicians, are expected to swell 7 percent between 20 ( BLS 2021). Keeping pace with other healthcare occupations, medical laboratory technician (MLTs) jobs are on the rise.
Medical laboratory technician positions are among the most in-demand healthcare jobs that serve the needs of patients from a laboratory rather than from a traditional setting like a clinic or hospital environment. There are two types of jobs when it comes to healthcare: those that interact directly with patients and those that support patients behind the scenes. Certification Guides Career Guides Interviews & Features