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Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research

146 schools compared · Average earnings $39,621/yr

What Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research Graduates Do

You’ll likely start your career in a direct patient-care role like a phlebotomist. You’ll spend your days in a clinic or hospital, using needles and vacutainers to draw blood, calming nervous patients, and meticulously labeling samples that doctors rely on for life-saving diagnoses. From there, you can advance into a more specialized technologist role. This could mean operating complex diagnostic analyzers in a lab or becoming a surgical technologist, where you’ll prepare operating rooms and pass critical instruments to surgeons during procedures.

This progression path allows your responsibilities and earnings to grow in step. While entry-level roles provide a solid start, experienced surgical technologists see a significant jump in pay. The highest earners often become senior specialists or move into teaching, training the next generation of lab professionals for a six-figure salary. With strong demand for skilled technicians across healthcare, your career is built on a stable foundation. This is hands-on work that requires your physical presence, providing a level of job security that remote or automated roles can't match.

Schools Offering

146

Avg Grad Earnings

$39,621/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

46/100

AI-Proof Rating

Resilient

71% of tasks AI-shielded

Apprenticeship Paths

View pathways ↓

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 15 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship	Training Hours	Type	Salary RangeSalary	Growth
Blocker & Cutter Contact Lens RAPIDS 889	2000 hrs ~1.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Central Sterile Processing Technician RAPIDS 1133	2000 hrs ~1.0 yrs	Time	$39K – $46,490 – $56K	10.0%
Central Sterile Processing Technician (Alternate Title: Sterile Supply Technician) RAPIDS 1133CB	Competency	Competency	$39K – $46,490 – $56K	10.0%
Health Care Sanitary Technician RAPIDS 602	2000 hrs ~1.0 yrs	Time	$41K – $48,790 – $62K	5.2%
Lay-Out Technician RAPIDS 554	8000 hrs ~4.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Medical-Laboratory Technician (Alternate Title: Medical Laboratory Specialist ) RAPIDS 323	4000 hrs ~2.0 yrs	Time	—	—
Optical Instrument Assembly RAPIDS 250	4000 hrs ~2.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Optician (Op Gds; Ret Tr) (Alternate Title: Optical Laboratory Specialist ) RAPIDS 32	10000 hrs ~5.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Optician (Optical Goods) RAPIDS 377	8000 hrs ~4.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Phlebotomist RAPIDS 2036	2000 hrs ~1.0 yrs	Time	$38K – $43,660 – $48K	5.6%
Phlebotomist RAPIDS 2036CB	Competency	Competency	$38K – $43,660 – $48K	5.6%
Precision-Lens Grinder RAPIDS 277	8000 hrs ~4.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Shop Optician, Benchroom RAPIDS 524	8000 hrs ~4.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Shop Optician, Surface Room RAPIDS 526	8000 hrs ~4.0 yrs	Time	$36K – $38,420 – $45K	2.3%
Surgical Technologist (Alternate Title: Operating Room Specialist) RAPIDS 1051CB	Competency	Competency	$52K – $62,830 – $77K	4.5%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Best Schools for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research

Top 20 of 146 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and AI-proof analysis.

#	School	Score	EarningsEarn	ROI
1	Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL	76 72–76	$61,237/yr	207.5x
2	Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ	74 70–75	$59,829/yr	150.7x
3	Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA	72 69–72	$74,011/yr	63.2x
4	Miami Dade College Miami, FL	72 69–73	$59,566/yr	103.9x
5	Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL	72 69–72	$58,346/yr	100.4x
6	San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX	71 68–72	$49,631/yr	118.2x
7	Houston Community College Houston, TX	71 68–71	$48,172/yr	117.1x
8	Arapahoe Community College Littleton, CO	70 67–70	$63,746/yr	73.0x
9	Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY	70 67–70	$49,401/yr	104.0x
10	Austin Community College District Austin, TX	70 66–71	$48,737/yr	114.2x
11	Georgia Piedmont Technical College Clarkston, GA	69 67–70	$54,140/yr	83.9x
12	North Seattle College Seattle, WA	69 67–70	$49,101/yr	96.1x
13	Springfield Technical Community College Springfield, MA	67 65–68	$66,182/yr	58.9x
14	University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND	67 65–68	$65,073/yr	58.4x
15	Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD	67 65–68	$58,008/yr	65.2x
16	Lakeland Community College Kirtland, OH	67 64–67	$53,080/yr	61.8x
17	Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH	66 63–67	$59,337/yr	60.7x
18	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	65 63–66	$58,316/yr	58.2x
19	Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Fennimore, WI	65 63–66	$56,241/yr	57.6x
20	Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI	65 63–65	$54,717/yr	56.2x
21	Community College of Rhode Island Warwick, RI	65 61–65	$54,495/yr	58.5x
22	Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE	65 62–65	$46,884/yr	65.2x
23	Rose State College Midwest City, OK	64 62–65	$55,099/yr	53.7x
24	Weber State University Ogden, UT	64 58–65	$51,220/yr	56.6x
25	Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA	64 60–65	$48,229/yr	61.6x
26	Tulsa Community College Tulsa, OK	64 62–64	$47,316/yr	61.8x
27	Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH	64 61–64	$45,022/yr	64.5x
28	Madisonville Community College Madisonville, KY	63 61–64	$50,702/yr	43.4x
29	Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN	63 60–63	$37,468/yr	82.3x
30	Hagerstown Community College Hagerstown, MD	63 60–63	$37,076/yr	84.8x
31	Clover Park Technical College Lakewood, WA	62 60–62	$56,725/yr	41.8x
32	Middlesex Community College Bedford, MA	62 61–63	$55,924/yr	45.2x
33	Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN	62 60–62	$49,712/yr	49.1x
34	Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Miami, OK	62 60–62	$48,934/yr	48.5x
35	Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI	62 59–63	$47,505/yr	55.4x
36	Clark State College Springfield, OH	62 60–62	$46,003/yr	53.8x
37	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS	62 60–62	$44,560/yr	55.4x
38	Clover Park Technical College Lakewood, WA	62 60–63	$42,066/yr	66.6x
39	Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN	61 59–62	$48,168/yr	48.1x
40	Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN	61 59–62	$40,232/yr	56.9x
41	Carolinas College of Health Sciences Charlotte, NC	60 58–60	$62,885/yr	31.9x
42	Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA	60 58–60	$55,875/yr	36.9x
43	Albany State University Albany, GA	60 59–61	$50,815/yr	41.8x
44	Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA	60 58–60	$37,354/yr	64.4x
45	Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, WI	60 56–60	$33,784/yr	78.3x
46	SUNY Broome Community College Binghamton, NY	59 58–59	$53,886/yr	36.8x
47	Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX	59 56–59	$51,327/yr	36.3x
48	Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA	59 58–60	$47,585/yr	41.9x
49	Clark College Vancouver, WA	59 56–59	$33,570/yr	71.5x
50	Front Range Community College Westminster, CO	59 56–59	$33,294/yr	73.8x
51	Miami Dade College Miami, FL	59 53–59	$25,923/yr	189.8x
52	Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences Lancaster, PA	58 55–58	$68,940/yr	20.6x
53	Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock, TX	58 55–59	$57,632/yr	—
54	Brookline College-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ	58 55–59	$57,179/yr	—
55	Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN	58 57–58	$47,780/yr	36.8x
56	George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville, AL	58 56–58	$42,590/yr	45.6x
57	Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield, MO	58 56–58	$39,980/yr	46.8x
58	Linn-Benton Community College Albany, OR	58 55–58	$36,278/yr	56.7x
59	Community College of Rhode Island Warwick, RI	58 56–59	$34,786/yr	65.9x
60	Lake Area Technical College Watertown, SD	57 56–58	$47,512/yr	34.4x
61	Marion Technical College Marion, OH	57 56–57	$46,667/yr	35.0x
62	John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner, AL	57 56–58	$42,551/yr	41.0x
63	Dutchess Community College Poughkeepsie, NY	57 55–57	$33,341/yr	61.4x
64	Medical Career Institute Ocean, NJ	56 53–57	$48,897/yr	—
65	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	56 52–56	$46,592/yr	—
66	Miller-Motte College-McCann-Allentown Allentown, PA	56 52–56	$46,592/yr	—
67	Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City, SD	55 53–55	$46,378/yr	28.0x
68	Contra Costa Medical Career College Antioch, CA	55 51–56	$44,990/yr	—
69	Virginia Western Community College Roanoke, VA	55 53–56	$31,772/yr	59.4x
70	Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA	55 51–56	$28,701/yr	72.7x
71	Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC	54 52–55	$28,964/yr	63.8x
72	Atlanta Technical College Atlanta, GA	54 47–55	$21,444/yr	133.2x
73	Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud, MN	53 49–53	$43,637/yr	24.3x
74	Erwin Technical College Tampa, FL	53 50–54	$41,375/yr	—
75	Glendale Career College Glendale, CA	53 49–53	$40,382/yr	—
76	Premiere Career College Irwindale, CA	53 49–53	$39,459/yr	—
77	Northwest State Community College Archbold, OH	53 50–54	$27,702/yr	66.5x
78	Rasmussen University-North Dakota Fargo, ND	52 48–52	$43,637/yr	20.7x
79	Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford, IL	52 47–52	$43,637/yr	19.4x
80	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay, WI	52 48–53	$43,637/yr	22.0x
81	H W Brewster Technical College Tampa, FL	52 48–52	$37,851/yr	—
82	City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College Chicago, IL	52 50–52	$26,947/yr	60.5x
83	Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN	52 44–52	$23,166/yr	79.2x
84	Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA	51 48–52	$54,790/yr	8.2x
85	Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL	51 47–51	$47,884/yr	11.6x
86	Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala, FL	51 47–51	$43,637/yr	17.2x
87	Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka, KS	51 47–51	$43,637/yr	17.0x
88	MTI College Sacramento, CA	51 47–51	$36,215/yr	—
89	Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta, GA	51 45–51	$20,208/yr	81.4x
90	All-State Career-Baltimore Baltimore, MD	50 46–50	$34,909/yr	—
91	Fortis College Houston, TX	50 46–50	$34,909/yr	—
92	Fortis Institute Houston, TX	50 46–50	$34,909/yr	—
93	Stautzenberger College-Maumee Maumee, OH	49 46–50	$44,021/yr	12.2x
94	Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College Rockford, IL	49 46–50	$44,021/yr	12.2x
95	Berkeley College-Woodland Park Woodland Park, NJ	49 45–49	$40,999/yr	14.1x
96	Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque Albuquerque, NM	49 46–50	$34,373/yr	—
97	Pima Medical Institute-Aurora Aurora, CO	49 45–50	$33,825/yr	—
98	Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ	49 45–50	$33,825/yr	—
99	Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES Liverpool, NY	49 45–50	$33,804/yr	—
100	Midwestern Career College Chicago, IL	49 45–49	$33,466/yr	—
101	Fortis College-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA	48 45–48	$40,819/yr	11.2x
102	Fortis Institute-Nashville Nashville, TN	48 45–49	$40,819/yr	11.9x
103	Fortis Institute-Birmingham Birmingham, AL	48 45–49	$40,819/yr	12.5x
104	American National University-Pikeville Pikeville, KY	47 45–47	$31,462/yr	26.4x
105	Pima Medical Institute-Tucson Tucson, AZ	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
106	Pima Medical Institute-Denver Denver, CO	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
107	Pima Medical Institute-Renton Renton, WA	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
108	Pima Medical Institute-East Valley Mesa, AZ	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
109	Pima Medical Institute-Houston Houston, TX	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
110	Pima Medical Institute-El Paso El Paso, TX	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
111	Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
112	Pima Medical Institute-San Antonio San Antonio, TX	47 44–48	$31,071/yr	—
113	Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC	47 45–47	$23,661/yr	48.6x
114	George Washington University Washington, DC	46 42–46	$40,630/yr	3.8x
115	Fortis College-Orange Park Orange Park, FL	46 43–46	$31,984/yr	22.5x
116	Southern University at Shreveport Shreveport, LA	46 38–46	$17,439/yr	60.4x
117	Fortis College-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA	44 40–45	$29,714/yr	22.8x
118	Institute of Medical Careers Pittsburgh, PA	44 41–45	$27,151/yr	—
119	Atlantic Technical College Coconut Creek, FL	44 40–44	$26,464/yr	—
120	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	43 39–44	$25,821/yr	—
121	Miller-Motte College-McCann-Allentown Allentown, PA	43 39–44	$25,821/yr	—
122	Brookline College-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ	43 39–43	$25,699/yr	—
123	Brookline College-Tempe Tempe, AZ	43 39–43	$25,699/yr	—
124	Brookline College-Tucson Tucson, AZ	43 39–43	$25,699/yr	—
125	Dorsey College Madison Heights, MI	42 38–42	$31,951/yr	7.8x
126	Dorsey College-Wayne Wayne, MI	42 38–42	$31,951/yr	7.8x
127	Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette Lafayette, LA	42 38–42	$23,699/yr	—
128	Unitech Training Academy-West Monroe West Monroe, LA	42 38–42	$23,699/yr	—
129	Unitech Training Academy-Houma Houma, LA	42 38–42	$23,699/yr	—
130	Unitech Training Academy-Alexandria Alexandria, LA	42 38–42	$23,699/yr	—
131	Unitech Training Academy-New Orleans New Orleans, LA	42 38–42	$23,699/yr	—
132	Unitech Training Academy-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA	42 38–42	$23,699/yr	—
133	Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL	42 40–43	$14,958/yr	47.2x
134	Southwest University at El Paso El Paso, TX	41 37–41	$30,423/yr	9.3x
135	Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology Delray Beach, FL	41 38–41	$27,358/yr	17.4x
136	Orange Technical College-East Campus Winter Park, FL	41 37–41	$22,539/yr	—
137	Weatherford College Weatherford, TX	41 39–41	$17,977/yr	38.4x
138	South College Knoxville, TN	40 37–40	$30,446/yr	7.5x
139	Florida National University-Main Campus Hialeah, FL	40 37–40	$26,579/yr	15.5x
140	American National University Salem, VA	39 35–40	$21,951/yr	26.1x
141	Blue Cliff College-Metairie Metairie, LA	39 35–39	$18,674/yr	—
142	Blue Cliff College-Lafayette Lafayette, LA	39 35–39	$18,674/yr	—
143	Blue Cliff College-Gulfport Gulfport, MS	39 35–39	$18,674/yr	—
144	Infinity College Lafayette, LA	38 35–39	$17,516/yr	—
145	Bucks County Community College Newtown, PA	37 36–38	$14,968/yr	28.8x
146	Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology Altamonte Springs, FL	36 33–37	$22,584/yr	13.7x

Highest Earning Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research Programs

Schools where Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	Score
Community College of Philadelphia	$74,011/yr	72
Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences	$68,940/yr	58
Springfield Technical Community College	$66,182/yr	67
University of North Dakota	$65,073/yr	67
Arapahoe Community College	$63,746/yr	70
Carolinas College of Health Sciences	$62,885/yr	60
Hillsborough Community College	$61,237/yr	76
Phoenix College	$59,829/yr	74
Miami Dade College	$59,566/yr	72
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College	$59,337/yr	66

Best ROI for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	Score
Hillsborough Community College	207.5x	$61,237/yr	76
Miami Dade College	189.8x	$25,923/yr	59
Phoenix College	150.7x	$59,829/yr	74
Atlanta Technical College	133.2x	$21,444/yr	54
San Jacinto Community College	118.2x	$49,631/yr	71
Houston Community College	117.1x	$48,172/yr	71
Austin Community College District	114.2x	$48,737/yr	70
Jefferson Community and Technical College	104.0x	$49,401/yr	70
Miami Dade College	103.9x	$59,566/yr	72
Florida State College at Jacksonville	100.4x	$58,346/yr	72

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research degree programs stack up on earnings, AI disruption risk, and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates earn?

The median first-year salary across 146 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research programs is $39,621. School selection matters — the gap between the lowest ($14,958) and highest ($74,011) earning programs is significant.

Will AI replace Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research jobs?

Our analysis rates Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research as "Resilient" for automation risk. With 71% of tasks requiring physical presence or manual skill, the vast majority of the work in this trade remains beyond AI's reach.

Which school has the best Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research program?

Our data ranks Hillsborough Community College first among 146 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research programs. Its score of 76/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($61,237/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

What's the ROI on a Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research program?

On average, Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates earn 53.2x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, DOL RAPIDS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →