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Health Care | Pathology Technologist

Pathology Technologist

What Does a Professional in this Career Do?

A Pathology Technologist works in a laboratory or healthcare facility, conducts laboratory examination of samples of body tissue for diagnostic or forensic purposes to determine the causes and effects of diseases. Performs various complex clinical laboratory tests, calibrates instruments, reports test results, and conducts quality controls, meets legal required documentation standards and policies.

Job Outlook

There were 18 Pathology Technologist job postings in North Carolina in the past year and 178 in the United States.

In combination with other careers in the Laboratory Technologist industry, which includes the Pathology Technologist career, the following graph shows the number of people employed for each year since 2015:

Salary

Many new Pathology Technologist jobs have salaries estimated to be in the following ranges, based on the requirements and responsibilities listed in job postings from the past year.

National

The average estimated salary in the United States for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $78,786.

State

The average estimated salary in North Carolina for this career, based on job postings in the past year, is $78,786.

Percentiles represent the percentage that is lower than the value. For example, 25% of estimated salaries for Pathology Technologist postings in the United States in the past year were lower than $60,505.

Education and Experience

Posted Pathology Technologist jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list education requirements.

Education LevelPercentage
Associate's Degree0%
Bachelor's Degree54.49%
Master's Degree23.03%
Doctoral Degree9.55%
Other33.15%

Posted Pathology Technologist jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Not all job postings list experience requirements.

Years of ExperiencePercentage
0 to 2 years73.53%
3 to 5 years23.53%
6 to 8 years0%
9+ years2.94%

Skills

Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Pathology Technologist positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.

Baseline Skills

A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one.

  • Quality Control (52.25%)
  • Research (35.96%)
  • Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) (26.4%)
  • Communication (25.28%)
  • Quality Assurance (23.03%)
  • English Language (20.22%)
  • Customer Service (16.29%)
  • Leadership (14.04%)
  • Problem Solving (14.04%)
  • Written English (14.04%)

Defining Skills

A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings.

  • Laboratory Equipment (19.66%)
  • Specimen Preparation (23.6%)
  • Biology (43.26%)
  • Biopsies (30.9%)
  • Immunology (20.22%)
  • Histopathology (27.53%)
  • Embedding (25.28%)
  • Anatomy (29.21%)
  • Histology (40.45%)
  • Anatomical Pathology (68.54%)
  • Chemistry (29.21%)
  • Microtome (23.6%)
  • Pathology (73.6%)
  • Medical Laboratory (53.37%)
  • Physiology (19.66%)
  • Cytology (27.53%)
  • Health Sciences (21.35%)
  • Laboratory Testing (25.28%)
  • Immunohistochemistry (25.84%)
  • Microbiology (21.91%)

Necessary Skills

A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it.

  • Surgical Pathology (14.04%)
  • Tissue Preparation (7.3%)
  • Cryostat (6.74%)
  • Laboratory Experience (12.36%)
  • Workflow Management (16.85%)
  • Specimen Processing (14.04%)
  • Analytical Testing (8.43%)
  • Laboratory Procedures (8.43%)
  • Data Recording (8.99%)
  • Specimen Handling (6.74%)
  • Clinical Laboratory Science (16.29%)
  • Computer Networks (6.74%)
  • Gynecology (7.87%)
  • Health Technology (13.48%)
  • Fixation (15.73%)
  • Automation (11.24%)
  • Auditing (6.74%)
  • Practicum (8.99%)
  • Data Entry (6.74%)
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (6.74%)
  • Standard Operating Procedure (7.87%)
  • Setting Appointments (9.55%)
  • Infection Control (15.17%)
  • Influenza (6.18%)
  • Specimen Accessioning (10.67%)
  • Medical Terminology (12.92%)
  • Needle Aspiration (8.43%)
  • Quality Management (8.43%)
  • Surgery (7.87%)

Salary Boosting Skills

A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed.

  • Immunology (73.47%)
  • Histopathology (100%)

Alternative Job Titles

Sometimes employers post jobs with Pathology Technologist skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:

  • Anatomic Pathology Technician
  • Histopathology Technician
  • Surgical Pathology Technologist
  • Anatomic Pathology Manager
  • Anatomic Pathologist
  • Molecular Technologist
  • Pathology Laboratory Technician
  • Grossing Technician
  • Cytologist
  • Operations Intern

Similar Occupations

If you are interested in exploring occupations with similar skills, you may want to research the following job titles. Note that we only list occupations that have at least one corresponding NC State Online and Distance Education program.

Common Employers

Here are the employers that have posted the most Pathology Technologist jobs in the past year along with how many they have posted.

United States

  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs (35)
  • University of Washington (16)
  • Northwell Health (13)
  • Ohio State University (10)
  • OhioHealth (7)
  • Maine Medical Center (5)
  • Nationwide Children's Hospital (5)
  • WakeMed (5)
  • Dmc University Laboratories (5)
  • Novant Health (4)

North Carolina

  • WakeMed (5)
  • Novant Health (4)
  • The Volunteers At Wakemed Raleigh Campus (3)
  • Wake Forest Baptist Health (2)
  • United States Department of Veterans Affairs (1)
  • Wake Forest (1)
  • Laboratory Alliance Of Central New York (1)

NC State Programs Relevant to this Career

If you are interested in preparing for a career in this field, the following NC State Online and Distance Education programs offer a great place to start!