Fixation on Histology

According to the most recent salary survey conducted by the American Society for Clinical Pathology, in 2017, the average hourly wage for staff level HTs is $26.08, while the average hourly wage for an HTL is $27.10.

Wages vary by type of institution and location however, with private laboratories paying the highest wage of $29.92 per hour for HTs. Non-academic hospitals come in lowest at $24.79 for HTs. HTL data shows academic hospitals paying the highest staff level wages at $30.50. Wages are slightly higher in larger urban areas.

Histotechnologist wages were the only surveyed wages reported as decreasing between the 2015 survey and 2017 survey. Overall, the report advocates for increased visibility for the professions and increased educational training programs.

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What is the job outlook for histotechnologists?

According to the 2018 ASCP Vacancy Survey, the total vacancy rate for histology is 8.37%. This is up from the 2016-2017 Vacancy survey, which reported a 5.6% vacancy rate. Supervisor vacancy rates are lower, at 3.82% compared to staff (8.95%). Supervisors reported a higher retirement rate than staff however, at 18.24% compared to staff (11.06%). For the laboratory workforce as a whole, vacancy levels have increased for all department surveyed. Retirement rates meanwhile, overall, are at their lowest.

In histology, 42.07% of respondents indicated that certification was required for hire. 59.12% of staff and 76% of supervisors in the histology department are certified.

Interested in histology jobs? Check out NSH's Career Center to find hundreds of histology jobs across the country.