Lab Tech Career | A Complete Guide

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Unlike other states, Illinois state does not oversee and regulate the profession of lab technicians. As such, you do not need to get licensed in the state of Illinois to become a lab technician.

However, this does not mean you don’t need to have the right level of education or experience. Most lab tech employers in Illinois will require certification from a recognized association like the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB) or American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).

To become certified by the AAB as a medical laboratory technician (MLT), you will need to do the following:

Education:

1) Be a high school graduate, or have a GED equivalent and have an associate degree in a laboratory science from an accredited institution or

2) Be a high school graduate/GED and complete a clinical laboratory training program accredited by the US Department of Health and Human Services with one year of experience.

Exam: Pass the AAB’s Board of Registry’s examination for Medical Laboratory Technician

To become certified by the AAB as a medical technologist (MT), you will need to do the following:

Education:

1) Earn an associate degree in applied science or medical technology from an accredited institution plus three years of full-time experience in the technical discipline or

2) Earn a masters, doctoral, or bachelors degree with a major in a physical, biological, chemical or clinical laboratory science/medical technology plus one year of full-time experience in the technical discipline or

3) Complete ninety (90) semester hours at an accredited institution or college with a major in a physical, biological, chemical or chemical laboratory science/medical technology plus one year of full-time experience in the technical discipline.

Exam: Pass the AAB’s Board of Registry’s examination for Medical Technologist

What does a phlebotomy technician do?

• Phlebotomy technicians draw and collect blood samples from patients to be used for laboratory studies and further microscopic examination.
• Builds trust with patients and explains procedures - puts them at ease.
• Prepares stains and reagents for lab analysis.
• Follows infection control standards.
• Maintains and updates lab logs.
• Manages and records inventory supply levels.

Workplace

• Most phlebotomy technicians work in doctor’s offices, clinics, blood banks or hospitals.

Education Requirements

• Minimum high school diploma or GED and Associate’s degree or certificate from an phlebotomy program which is usually less than one year.

Accreditation

• The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences  (NAACLS) approves qualified phlebotomy technician training programs and it’s best to seek out an accredited program for your employment success.

To become a licensed clinical laboratory technician in California state, you will need to do the following:

• Education: Obtain an Associate degree in life sciences (chemical, physical, biological or clinical lab science) from and accredited school and which is recognized by NAACLS or LFS
• Exam: Score a minimum of 70% on the ASCP or AAB’s Board of Registry’s examination for Medical Laboratory Technician
• Fees: Pay $203 for application

To become a licensed phlebotomy technician in California state, you will need to do the following:

• Education: High school diploma or GED and 40 hours phlebotomy class training and 40 hours of phlebotomy practice from approved school
• Exam: Pass an approved phlebotomy certification exam
• Fees: Pay $54 for licensing and registration

To become a licensed cytotechnologist in California state, you will need to do the following:

• Education: Obtain an Bachelor’s degree from a school accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or equivalent of 20 semester hours of biological science, 8 hours of chemistry, and 3 semester hours of math. And complete a 12-month Cytotechnology program accredited by CAAHEP or equivalent.
• Exam: Pass ASCP Board of Registry’s examination for Cytology
• Fees: Pay $155 for application

For more detailed information, see the California Department of Public Health’s website.

To become a licensed clinical laboratory technician in New York state, you will need to do the following:

• Education: Obtain an Associate degree from certified or accredited clinical laboratory clinical program
• Exam: Score a minimum of 75 on the ASCP Board of Registry’s examination for Medical Laboratory Technician
• Fees: Pay $245 for licensing and registration

To become a licensed clinical laboratory technologist in New York state, you will need to do the following:

• Education: Obtain an Bachelor’s degree from certified or accredited clinical laboratory technology program
• Exam: Score a minimum of 75 on the ASCP Board of Registry’s examination for Medical Laboratory Technologist
• Fees: Pay $345 for licensing and registration

To become a licensed cytotechnologist in New York state, you will need to do the following:

• Education: Obtain an Bachelor’s degree in life sciences (e.g. biology, chemistry) and advanced certificate in cytotechnology program or Bachelor’s degree from a cytology program
• Exam: Score a minimum of 75 on the ASCP Board of Registry’s examination for Cytology
• Fees: Pay $345 for licensing and registration

For more detailed information, see the New York State Education Department’s website.

What does a histotechnician (HT) do?

• Histotechnicians prepare and stain tissue for microscopic examination and disease detection.
• Works closely with and assists a histotechnologist, scientist, or pathologist.
• The histotechnician will have knowledge of tissue structures, techniques, and instrumentation so that he/she can recognize and troubleshoot routine and complex technical problems.

Workplace

• Histotechnicians primarily work at hospitals and private pathology laboratories.
• However, they also work at government agencies, research institutes, or industrial laboratories.

Education Requirements

• Minimum high school diploma or GED and Associate’s degree in histology.

Here’s a nice article about recent students of medical and lab technician programs at Springfield Technical Community College who’ve realized their dreams as graduates and are about to enter the world as health care professionals. It talks about how the work they’ll be doing is truly a “higher calling” and how their lab work will help guide the doctors they work with. As with anything good in life, it does take a lot of hard work, sacrifice and support from family and friends. The article is Health Care Students Honored.

Choosing the right technician school is a very important and personal decision. You will need to think about what’s important to you and how each school’s unique qualities may fit your situation better than others.

Some key questions to ask yourself:

• Will this school give me the education and training to get a job as a [medical or dental lab or x ray] technician?
• Does my dream job require a degree or certificate from an accredited school? What are the accreditations I should consider?
• How much will it cost? How can I pay for it? Does it make sense with my financial situation? (e.g. Can I afford it? Is there financial aid?)
• Do the hours required to complete a degree fit with the current demands in my life? Some programs require more hours of clinical work. How might this impact your other obligations like family and kids?
• What kind of placement rates does a school have for your desired technician job?
• How much support does a school provide for students once they graduate? Ultimately, you want to know how good your chances are in a getting your technician job and feel good that you school can do that for you.

If you can answer these questions for each school you’re considering, you will make a smarter choice and be assured that you’ll have a better outcome in your school decision.

We wanted to provide a simple chart for the most common technician jobs along with information on education requirements, salary, job function and role, and certification. This overview can help you quickly assess how you can plan and decide what technician role fits your career goals and interests.

For certification, here are the acronyms with certifying bodies.

• ASCP = American Society for Clinical Pathology
• AMT = American Medical Technologists
• AAB = Association of Bioanalysts
• NCA = National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel
• NPA = National Phlebotomy Association
• ASPT = American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians

Source of Salary Info: PayScale.

What does a dental laboratory technician do?

• Dental laboratory technicians assemble and build dentures, bridges, crowns, orthodontic appliances, and other protheses for the purpose of use in dental patients.
• Take prescription and specifications from a dentist to fabricate oral products using a variety of materials ranging from plastics, waxes, and other precious and non-precious alloys like gold and porcelain.
• The dental laboratory technician may use computer aided design (CAD) software to build and manufacture custom-fit devices for patients.

Workplace

• Most dental laboratory technicians work in commercial dental laboratories, dental offices, dental schools, or hospitals.

Education Requirements

• Minimum high school diploma or GED and Associate’s degree or certificate from an accredited dental laboratory technology program which is usually two (2) years.

Accreditation

• The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) approves dental laboratory technician training programs.
• Employers generally prefer CODA approved training programs.