Medical Laboratory Scientist Hourly Pay (2026 Data)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 6,314 US job postings by 902 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for medical laboratory scientists: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 6,314 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for medical laboratory scientists in US job postings is $37.86 an hour (1,230 postings from 219 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $31.86 to $43.83 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $35.33 an hour (509 postings).
- The skills that most set medical laboratory scientist postings apart are quality control, hematology, phlebotomy.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Medical Laboratory Scientist job postings in the US, October 2026
- $37.86/hr
- Median advertised pay (1,230 postings)
- $31.86–$43.83
- Middle 50% of postings
- $35.33/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 6,314
- US job postings from 902 employers
How much does a medical laboratory scientist make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $37.86 an hour, from 1,230 US job postings by 219 employers that state pay. That is about $79,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 1,230 US medical laboratory scientist job postings: median $79,000 a year ($37.86 an hour), middle half $66,000 to $92,000.
- Median: $79,000 ($37.86/hr)
- 25th percentile: $66,000
- 75th percentile: $92,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.1% |
| $20K–$30K | 0.7% |
| $30K–$40K | 0.6% |
| $40K–$50K | 2.3% |
| $50K–$60K | 8.2% |
| $60K–$70K | 19.1% |
| $70K–$80K | 20.5% |
| $80K–$90K | 20.9% |
| $90K–$100K | 6.4% |
| $100K–$110K | 6.2% |
| $110K–$120K | 3.8% |
| $120K–$130K | 2.8% |
| $130K–$140K | 2.5% |
| $140K–$150K | 3.1% |
| $150K–$160K | 0.9% |
| $160K–$170K | 0.5% |
| $170K–$180K | 0.6% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $37.86 | $31.86–$43.83 | 758 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $79,000 | $66K–$92K | 1,230 |
What is the starting salary for a medical laboratory scientist?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $35.33 an hour (509 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $35.33/hr | 509 |
| 2-4 years | $39.75/hr | 320 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 37 |
Highest-paying medical laboratory scientist jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Technologist | $38.18/hr | 1,036 | 191 |
Medical laboratory scientist pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $50.51/hr | $48.22–$58.65 | 102 | 9.2% |
| New York | $48.61/hr | $39.75–$58.81 | 131 | 5.3% |
Skills employers ask for in medical laboratory scientist job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 16% |
| Quality control | 14% |
| Attention to detail | 10% |
| Interpersonal skills | 10% |
| Problem-solving | 10% |
| Work independently | 9% |
| Organizational skills | 8% |
| Phlebotomy | 7% |
| Analytical skills | 6% |
| Customer service | 6% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set medical laboratory scientists apart
- Quality control37.5× as often as in all postings · 14%
- Hematology241.7× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Phlebotomy21.2× as often as in all postings · 7%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a medical laboratory scientist job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a medical laboratory scientist do?
Employers post these jobs as Medical Technologist, Medical Laboratory Technician, Medical Lab Technician, MLT, Medical Lab Scientist and other titles. The largest specializations are Medical Technologist (85%), Cytotechnologist (10%), Mohs Technician (under 1%), Point of Care Coordinator (under 1%), Biomedical Scientist (under 1%).
The closest official occupation is Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (29-2011.00). Its most important tasks:
- Analyze samples of biological material for chemical content or reaction.
- Analyze laboratory findings to check the accuracy of the results.
- Conduct chemical analysis of body fluids, including blood, urine, or spinal fluid, to determine presence of normal or abnormal components.
- Enter data from analysis of medical tests or clinical results into computer for storage.
- Collect and study blood samples to determine the number of cells, their morphology, or their blood group, blood type, or compatibility for transfusion purposes, using microscopic techniques.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a medical laboratory scientist?
Among 1,593 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 4% say 0 years and 54% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 1,593 US medical laboratory scientist job postings: median 1 year, and 54% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 6% |
| 1 yr | 48% |
| 2 yrs | 28% |
| 3-4 yrs | 13% |
| 5-7 yrs | 4% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 83%, Part-time 17% of the 708 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a medical laboratory scientist: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Medical Technologist | 227 (25.2%) |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | 161 (17.8%) |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | 122 (13.5%) |
| Medical Lab Technician | 120 (13.3%) |
| MLT | 81 (9.0%) |
| Medical Lab Scientist | 80 (8.9%) |
| Clinical Laboratory Scientist | 76 (8.4%) |
| Histology Technician | 65 (7.2%) |
| Medical Lab Tech | 58 (6.4%) |
| Medical Laboratory Technologist | 51 (5.7%) |
| Cytotechnologist | 50 (5.5%) |
| Clinical Lab Scientist | 50 (5.5%) |
| Histotechnologist | 36 (4.0%) |
| Medical Technologist I | 32 (3.5%) |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologist | 28 (3.1%) |
| Medical Technologist II | 27 (3.0%) |
| Histology Technologist | 22 (2.4%) |
| Medical Lab Technologist | 21 (2.3%) |
| Histotechnician | 19 (2.1%) |
| Lead Medical Technologist | 19 (2.1%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Medical laboratory scientist job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Lab Technician | 303 | 120 | – | – | communication, phlebotomy, quality control |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | 431 | 161 | – | – | phlebotomy, quality control, attention to detail |
| Medical Technologist | 764 | 227 | – | 1 year | quality control, communication, organizational skills |
Medical Laboratory Technician vs Medical Laboratory Scientist
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Medical Laboratory Scientist | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 431 | 558 |
| Employers | 161 | 122 |
| Median advertised pay | – | – |
| Median experience asked | – | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Medical Technologist vs Medical Laboratory Technician
| Medical Technologist | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 764 | 431 |
| Employers | 227 | 161 |
| Median advertised pay | – | – |
| Median experience asked | 1 year | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Medical Technologist vs Medical Lab Technician
| Medical Technologist | Medical Lab Technician | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 764 | 303 |
| Employers | 227 | 120 |
| Median advertised pay | – | – |
| Median experience asked | 1 year | – |
| Skills that stand out | – | – |
Medical Laboratory Scientist compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | $37.86/hr | 1 year | 6,314 | – |
| Phlebotomist | $22.50/hr | 1 year | 8,028 | 15 |
| Patient Care Technician | $22.05/hr | 1 year | 8,483 | 13 |
| Medical Assistant | $23.00/hr | 1 year | 22,021 | 16 |
| Laboratory Technician | $22.84/hr | 2 years | 3,224 | 16 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Phlebotomist | 15 | $22.50/hr |
| Patient Care Technician | 13 | $22.05/hr |
| Medical Assistant | 16 | $23.00/hr |
| Laboratory Technician | 16 | $22.84/hr |
| Clinical Research Coordinator | 16 | $79K |
| Radiologic Technologist | 17 | $42.58/hr |
Applying for medical laboratory scientist jobs?
- Medical laboratory scientist resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find medical laboratory scientist jobs: search open postings
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 19 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 19 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.