Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science

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
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

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

• 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

clinical laboratory science majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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

A major in clinical laboratory science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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
Ophthalmic Medical Technologists	19.6%	$42,920
Surgical Technologists	11.7%	$47,300

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science?

The major attracts more women than men. About 71% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

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	74
Black or African American	60
Hispanic or Latino	76
White	215
International Students	26
Other Races/Ethnicities	38

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Clinical Laboratory Science. About 5.3% 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?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a master’s degree in clinical laboratory science have a median salary of $61,248 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $57,662 (25th percentile) and $76,043 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in clinical laboratory science, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Clinical Laboratory Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $35,560 to $49,040 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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 the 2020-2021 academic year, 964 schools offered some type of clinical/medical laboratory science program. 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.

Majors Related to Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to clinical laboratory science.

Major	Number of Grads
Nursing	66,964
Medicine	28,629
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions	24,774
Public Health	19,473
Health & Medical Administrative Services	17,335
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences	16,952
Mental & Social Health Services	16,815
Allied Health Professions	12,950
Communication Sciences	10,547
Dentistry	6,770
Bioethics/Medical Ethics	4,684
Chiropractic	2,658
Alternative Medicine & Systems	2,582
Dietetics & Clinical Nutrition Services	2,481
Optometry	1,822
Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences	1,762
Medical Illustration & Informatics	1,747
Health Sciences & Services	1,746
Other Health Professions	1,261
Health/Medical Prep Programs	1,122
Medical Science	909
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services	462
Dental Support Services	122
Alternative Medical Support Services	80
Movement & Mind-Body Therapies	55
Energy & Biologically Based Therapies	37
Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services	11
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants	4
Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies	0

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.