Clinical laboratory technicians are responsible for a number of tasks, including examining body fluids and cells and matching blood for transfusions. The job requires the use of sophisticated laboratory equipment, such as microscopes and cell counters. With continued advancements in technology, lab work has become more analytical, so laboratory personnel should have excellent judgment skills. More complex procedures are reserved for clinical laboratory technologists, who must possess a bachelor’s degree. Technicians, who must hold at least an associate degree, often work under the supervision of technologists.

Don’t expect to see clinical laboratory technicians playing a leading role on "Grey’s Anatomy" anytime soon. Leave the spotlight to the actors who play surgeons; clinical lab technicians, on the other hand, are content working hard behind the scenes. Serving as an important cog in the elaborate framework that is the modern hospital or clinic, they conduct the crucial tests and analyses that physicians use to make their diagnoses.The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.9% employment growth for clinical laboratory technicians between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 16,800 jobs should open up.

Most clinical laboratory technicians possess an associate degree from an accredited community college or junior college program in clinical laboratory science. Some states require clinical laboratory technologists to be licensed.