# Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists

US SOC code 29-2011. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2011

Also called: Medical laboratory scientist, Clinical laboratory scientist, CLS, MLS, MLS(ASCP).

## In brief

BLS last counted US medical and clinical laboratory technologists as their own occupation in May 2016: **166,730** jobs. Median pay was **$61,070** a year in May 2016. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://ascls.org/history-of-the-medical-laboratory-science-profession/) of **35,000** from 1943, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for medical and clinical laboratory technologists: Molecular diagnostics and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, 2000 to 2018.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS's 2025-35 employment projections do not list this occupation on its own.

### AI exposure studies

- **23.2%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2016.

## Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1919
- Latest US employment: 166,730 (May 2016). Source: BLS OEWS May 2016 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $61,070 (May 2016). Source: BLS OEWS May 2016 [8]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 32120)
  - Employment, 2020: 20,180. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [5]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 32120 Medical laboratory technologists, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$79,500. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [9]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 32120 Medical laboratory technologists, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 17 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1943 | 35,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ASCLS [1] |
| 1986 | 239,350 (estimate) | $22,000 (estimate) | Est., Allied Health Services [2] |
| 2000 | 144,530 | $40,510 | BLS OEWS 2000 [3] |
| 2003 | 146,900 | $43,640 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 151,240 | $45,730 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 155,250 | $47,710 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 160,760 | $49,700 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 163,270 | $51,720 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 166,510 | $53,500 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 166,860 | $55,140 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 164,430 | $56,130 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 165,220 | $57,010 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 160,700 | $57,580 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 162,630 | $58,430 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 161,710 | $59,430 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 162,950 | $60,520 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 166,730 | $61,070 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |

## Sources (70)

### Employment series

1. [ASCLS — History of the Medical Laboratory Science Profession (1943 school expansion: 250 approved schools at WWII start; enrollment grew 56% 1953-1959)](https://ascls.org/history-of-the-medical-laboratory-science-profession/), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
2. [Allied Health Services: Avoiding Crises (1989), "Estimates of the Current Supply of Personnel in 10 Allied Health Fields"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218855/), National Academies Press / Institute of Medicine
3. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip)
5. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

6. [National Academies Press — Allied Health Services: Avoiding Crises (1989): wages and workforce conditions for medical laboratory technologists in the 1980s; gender pay gap of 5.7% documented; shortage-driven wage growth noted](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218855/), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
7. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip)
9. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

10. [ASCLS — History of the Medical Laboratory Science Profession (1919 hospital accreditation standard; manual methods era)](https://ascls.org/history-of-the-medical-laboratory-science-profession/), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
11. [ASCLS-PA — A Brief History of Medical Diagnosis and the Birth of the Clinical Laboratory (manual methods and early professionalization)](https://www.ascls-pa.org/uploads/2/4/2/1/24211033/meddiagandlab.pdf), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, Pennsylvania Chapter
12. [Wikipedia — AutoAnalyzer (Technicon AutoAnalyzer, 1957; continuous-flow analysis; hundredfold test volume increase)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoAnalyzer), Wikipedia
13. [Smithsonian National Museum of American History — Technicon AutoAnalyzer (artifact record: landmark instrument in clinical chemistry automation)](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_738041), Smithsonian National Museum of American History
14. [PMC — Continuous-flow analysis: the Auto-Analyzer (Anal. Chem. 2008; historical review of Skeggs' invention and Technicon commercialization)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2547624/), PubMed Central / Analytical Chemistry
15. [Wikipedia — Automated analyser (hematology automation: Coulter Counter history, 3-part and 5-part differential development)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_analyser), Wikipedia
16. [MLO Online — Automated analyzers add efficiency to laboratory testing (history of clinical laboratory automation from AutoAnalyzer through 5-part differential)](https://www.mlo-online.com/information-technology/automation/article/13008697/automated-analyzers-add-efficiency-to-laboratory-testing), Medical Laboratory Observer
17. [CDC — Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA): complexity tiers, personnel requirements, QC and proficiency testing mandates](https://www.cdc.gov/lab-training/php/courses/introduction-clinical-laboratory-improvement-amendments-of-1988-clia.html), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
18. [MLO Today (Medical Laboratory Observer) 2024-2025 — MALDI-TOF AI reduces organism identification time from 24-48 hrs to 15 min for common blood culture isolates; AI-assisted variant interpretation in molecular pathology expanding](https://www.mlo-online.com/), Medical Laboratory Observer
19. [Bruker — MALDI Biotyper Sirius System (MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry microbial identification; FDA-cleared; genus-species ID in 15 min from positive culture)](https://www.bruker.com/en/products-and-solutions/microbiology-and-diagnostics/microbial-identification/maldi-biotyper-sirius-system.html), Bruker Corporation
20. [CellaVision — DM9600 / DM1200 AI digital cell morphology (1,200+ US laboratory deployments; deep-learning pre-classification; reduces manual differential time ~80%; Sysmex acquisition 2021)](https://www.cellavision.com/), CellaVision AB / Sysmex
21. [Clinical Laboratory News (ADLM) 2024-2025 — CellaVision AI reduces manual differential time ~80%; Iris iQ200 AI urinalysis reduces manual microscopy hours; Navify AI sepsis alerting reduces time-to-alert; technologist oversight of AI exceptions remains CLIA and CAP requirement](https://myadlm.org/cln), Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC)
22. [Journals of the American Society for Microbiology — Pandemic Demand for SARS-CoV-2 Testing Led to Critical Supply and Workforce Shortages in U.S. Clinical and Public Health Laboratories](https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.03189-20), American Society for Microbiology

### Forecasts and exposure studies

23. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 29-2011.00, human-rated β 0.232)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

24. [ASCLS — History of the Medical Laboratory Science Profession (1919 ACS hospital accreditation laboratory requirement)](https://ascls.org/history-of-the-medical-laboratory-science-profession/), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
25. [ASCP BOC — History of the ASCP Board of Certification (1928 founding of the Board of Registry; Medical Technologist and Laboratory Technician classifications)](https://www.ascp.org/boc/about/history), American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification
26. [American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science — ASCLS History (ASMT incorporated 1936; renamed ASCLS 1973)](https://ascls.org/history/), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
27. [Smithsonian National Museum of American History — Technicon AutoAnalyzer (artifact; landmark instrument in clinical chemistry automation)](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_738041), Smithsonian National Museum of American History
28. [ASCLS — Addressing the Clinical Laboratory Workforce Shortage (training program growth from ~300 to ~1,000 between early 1960s and 1970; Medicare/Medicaid as demand driver)](https://ascls.org/addressing-the-clinical-laboratory-workforce-shortage/), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
29. [CDC — Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA): history, complexity tiers, QC and personnel requirements; enacted October 1988](https://www.cdc.gov/lab-training/php/courses/introduction-clinical-laboratory-improvement-amendments-of-1988-clia.html), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
30. [ASCLS — Standardizing the Professional Title of Medical Laboratory Professionals (1993 CLS renaming; MLS title adoption; ongoing title standardization debate)](https://ascls.org/standardizing-the-professional-title-of-medical-laboratory-professionals/), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
31. [Journals of the American Society for Microbiology — Pandemic Demand for SARS-CoV-2 Testing Led to Critical Supply and Workforce Shortages in U.S. Clinical and Public Health Laboratories (JCM, 2021)](https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.03189-20), American Society for Microbiology

### Predecessors & successors

32. [ASCLS — History of the Medical Laboratory Science Profession (pathologists trained women assistants after 1919 ACS accreditation standard)](https://ascls.org/history-of-the-medical-laboratory-science-profession/), American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (29-2011.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2011.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OOH — Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians: 340,700 combined employed 2024; +7% growth 2024-2034; 28,700 annual openings; median wage $60,780 for technologists (May 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/clinical-laboratory-technologists-and-technicians.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ASCP — MLS(ASCP)CM / MT(ASCP) credentials; 2024 ASCP Wage Survey: median $62,000 for technologists; bachelor's degree + accredited MLS program required for technologist certification (vs. associate degree for MLT)](https://www.ascp.org/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [CellaVision DM9600 / DM1200 — AI-powered digital cell morphology; 1,200+ U.S. laboratory deployments; DM9600 processes 96 slides/hr; pre-classifies leukocytes using deep-learning trained on 500,000+ annotated cells; reduces manual differential time ~80% in high-volume hematology labs](https://www.cellavision.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Sysmex DI-60 — AI digital imaging for automated peripheral blood smear analysis; FDA 510(k) cleared; classifies 100 WBC morphology categories including blasts and atypical lymphocytes; deployed at hundreds of U.S. hospital laboratories as of 2025](https://cellavision.com/products/sysmex-di-60/), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Iris iQ200 (iRISCELL) / Beckman Coulter DxU Iris — AI automated urine microscopy; classifies RBCs, WBCs, casts, bacteria, crystals, epithelial cells from brightfield images; FDA-cleared; deployed in large core labs to replace routine wet prep microscopy; technologist reviews AI-flagged discrepant cases](https://www.beckmancoulter.com/products/urinalysis/dxu-iris), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Roche Navify — cloud-based clinical decision support integrating lab results, vitals, and patient history for AI sepsis risk scoring, coagulation alerts, and critical value flagging; integrates with LIS and Roche cobas instruments at major U.S. health systems](https://diagnostics.roche.com/global/en/products/product-category/brand/navify.html), accessed 2026-06-21
- [CAP (College of American Pathologists) — laboratory accreditation; CAP checklist requires QC documentation, proficiency testing, and technologist competency assessment for every test system including AI-assisted analyzers; CLIA and CAP mandate technologist verification regardless of AI flagging capability](https://www.cap.org/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [CLIA (42 CFR Part 493) — federal regulatory framework: most AI-flagging hematology and urinalysis analyzers classified as moderate-complexity, requiring MLS/MT-level oversight for verification and exception management](https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/clinical-laboratory-improvement-amendments), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Clinical Laboratory News (ADLM/CLN) 2024-2025 — CellaVision AI reduces manual differential time ~80%; iQ200 AI urinalysis reduces manual microscopy hours; Navify AI sepsis alerting cuts time-to-alert for critical lab values; technologist oversight of AI exceptions remains a CLIA and CAP requirement](https://www.myadlm.org/cln), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Beckman Coulter DxH 900 — high-volume CBC + 5-part differential with AI-assisted flagging (immature granulocyte, blast, nRBC flags); DxH Series flag algorithms trigger reflexive digital morphology review workflows; deployed at high-volume U.S. hospital and reference laboratories (Beckman Coulter 2025)](https://www.beckmancoulter.com/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.