There were about 319,000 clinical lab techs (technologists and technicians) working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published reports. Clinical lab techs work mainly in hospitals and medical diagnostic laboratories, but smaller numbers are also found working in physician offices, in professional education institutions and with ambulatory health service providers. According to BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for clinical lab techs was $56,910 per year. Clinical lab tech pay varies widely by state according to the BLS data, from less than $50,000 annually in some states to over $70,000 per year in others. As of May 2021, these were the ten best and worst states for clinical lab tech pay:
The Best and Worst States for Clinical Lab Tech Pay
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| NY | 17,030 | $72,500 | 1st |
| RI | 900 | $70,580 | 2nd |
| CT | 3,210 | $70,220 | 3rd |
| OR | 2,980 | $69,330 | 4th |
| CA | 25,910 | $68,450 | 5th |
| NH | 600 | $66,930 | 6th |
| DC | 1,100 | $65,950 | 7th |
| NJ | 7,640 | $65,860 | 8th |
| WA | 6,160 | $64,100 | 9th |
| DE | 510 | $63,170 | 10th |
| U.S. | 318,780 | $56,910 | ------- |
| SD | 1,270 | $50,790 | 42nd |
| UT | 5,530 | $50,540 | 43rd |
| MO | 8,530 | $50,260 | 44th |
| IN | 6,630 | $49,720 | 45th |
| OK | 4,290 | $48,480 | 46th |
| NM | 1,700 | $48,200 | 47th |
| ID | 1,780 | $48,120 | 48th |
| AL | 6,170 | $46,170 | 49th |
| AR | 2,530 | $45,720 | 50th |
| MS | 3,250 | $45,430 | 51st |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 20, 2022
