There were approximately 326,000 clinical lab techs (technicians and technologists) employed in the U.S. as of May 2019 according to data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Clinical lab techs work mainly in hospitals and medical diagnostic laboratories, with smaller numbers being employed in physician offices, in professional education institutions and with ambulatory health service providers. Clinical lab techs typically earn slightly better salaries than workers in most other occupations. As of May 2019, according to BLS estimates, the national mean wage for clinical lab techs was $54,780 per year, slightly ahead of the $53,490 annual mean wage for workers in all occupations in the U.S. Clinical lab tech pay varies widely from region-to-region. BLS data from May 2019, reveals the following about clinical lab tech pay in the top 20 metro markets in the United States:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 18,490 | $68,260 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 11,240 | $62,200 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 10,040 | $52,660 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 8,240 | $57,380 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 7,330 | $54,520 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 6,830 | $61,520 | ||
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 6,200 | $54,050 | ||
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 6,060 | $58,010 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 6,720 | $53,580 | ||
| 10 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 6,670 | $50,330 | ||
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 8,710 | $61,100 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 4,480 | $65,210 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 1,620 | $59,820 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 4,960 | $52,940 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 4,460 | $61,570 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 4,310 | $56,120 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 2,850 | $60,070 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 4,290 | $49,480 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 3,060 | $56,220 | ||
| 20 | St. Louis | 5,010 | $50,680 | ||
| National | 326,020 | $54,780 | |||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on December 5, 2020