Lab professionals on average are making more money than they were two years ago, concludes a new report from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). “Overall, the salary outlook for the laboratory professional appears to be thriving,” concludes the report, published in the fall edition of Lab Medicine (www.labmedicine.com). The ASCP survey is conducted every two years to determine the extent and distribution of workforce shortages in the nation’s clinical laboratories. The survey was conducted between March and April, 2013. A total of 13,108 responses were received. Most laboratory professionals who responded to the survey have full-time permanent positions (87.3 percent) followed by part-time (8.8 percent). On call, per diem, and temporary contract made up the remaining positions. More than 73 percent of those responding were medical technologists (MT), clinical laboratory scientists (CLS), medical laboratory technicians (MLT), and clinical laboratory technicians (CLT). Overall, wages for lab personnel are higher than reported in the last survey. Lab assistants and phlebotomists continue to have lower salaries and cytotechnologists and physician assistants have higher salaries than the rest of the laboratory professions surveyed. The average age of laboratory personnel is 44.3 years, and the average wage for staff-level MTs and CLSs is…
