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Clinical Laboratory Science

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

What Clinical Laboratory Science 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 Laboratory Science. 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 Laboratory Science

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 Laboratory Science Programs

Schools where Clinical Laboratory Science 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 Laboratory Science

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

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 Laboratory Science degree programs stack up on earnings, AI disruption risk, and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Clinical Laboratory Science graduates earn?

The median first-year salary across 146 Clinical Laboratory Science 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 Laboratory Science jobs?

Our analysis rates Clinical Laboratory Science 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 Laboratory Science program?

Our data ranks Hillsborough Community College first among 146 Clinical Laboratory Science 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 Laboratory Science program?

On average, Clinical Laboratory Science 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 →